NHAI to stop collecting toll across national highways
NEW DELHI : The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will stop toll collecting toll across National highways in the country during the 21 days’ nationwide lockdown announced on Tuesday owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The move comes after the authority sought opinion from the ministry of road transport and highways in this regard on Wednesday. The Centre on Sunday barred interstate public transport, besides discontinuing all passenger train services till March 31 as Covid-19 cases rose in the country.
The toll collection across National highways in the country has dipped around 50% in last one week, owing to restricted movement of fleet because of Covid-19 outbreak that has put most of the country in a lockdown.
Latest data from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) shows that toll collected through FASTags, which now account for almost 70% of the transactions across the country, fell 50% on Sunday compared to last week
In a letter issued to NHAI on Wednesday evening, the ministry of road transport and highways said that the Ministry of Home Affairs’ order on March 24 stated that “commercial and private establishments shall be closed down for a period of 21 days with effect from 25.03.2020 for containment of Covid-19 epidemic in the country,” further asking the authority to therefore comply with the orders.
Toll collection across around 530 toll plazas on National highways in the country had halved in just the past week.Several parts of the country had been gradually locking down over the last week as Covid-19 cases rose in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the country on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days beginning March 25, even as essential services were allowed to operate.
(With Agency Inputs ).
