Valsad: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has taken a decision to grant exemption to cars and small vehicles from paying toll tax from upcoming 15 August. It is understood that only commercial vehicles and bigger vehicles will have to pay toll tax while passing through toll roads across Gujarat after implementation of the decision.

It is learnt that Gujarat government will bear losses incurred by toll booth operators due to exemption granted to small vehicles and cars.

Addressing a plantation drive in Nanapondha village of Valsad district, Patel said, “When our brothers, sisters from the middle class go out in their cars for work, they have to shell out Rs 100-150 at toll booths. We have decided to exempt them from paying toll tax…bigger vehicles will still have to pay it.”

Chief Minister said that surveys were going on about what exactly will be the amount that Gujarat government will have to pay to toll road operators to compensate the exemption.

The decision is not likely to affect the toll booths on national highway that are out of the purview of the state government, however there’s no further clarity hon this aspect as of now.

It should be mentioned here that Maharashtra government had in recent past shut down 12 toll plazas. The government paid Rs 798 crore from its treasury to compensate the loss to toll road operators. In his interview last year, union minister Nitin Gadkari had said that toll revenue from small private vehicles was very small compared to bigger and commercial vehicles. He had passed hint that small private vehicles could be barred from paying toll in future nationwide.

Govt communication regarding this:

Happy to announce that from 15th August ,cars and small vehicles will be exempt from paying toll tax in Gujarat .

— Anandiben Patel (@anandibenpatel) July 30, 2016

DeshGujarat