Amritsar:When people are worried over daily increases in petrol and diesel prices, the new enhanced toll rates that will be effective from April 1 have come as a double whammy for Punjab motorists and road users. It will also have a cascading effect on the prices of other essential commodities because the transportation cost will go up with the rise in toll fees.
The new toll rates will come into effect from April 1 at Dhilwan and Nijjarpura toll plazas on Jalandhar-Amritsar Highway. A taxi driver Jarmanjit Singh said, rates are being increased by the government causing a lot of problems, especially in operating cabs. "I have been facing a financial crunch and finding it difficult to make both ends meet."
Another cab driver Pankaj Kumar said new toll rates are burning a hole in the pocket of everyone. "The new toll fees are too high, and suppose someone goes to Ludhiana toll plaza without FASTag attached to a vehicle, then he will have to cough up double the amount."
Giving information about the enhanced toll rates, Dhilwan Toll Plaza Manager Pankaj Singh said, earlier we were charging car (single) Rs 95 and double (two-way) Rs 145, which has now been increased to (single) Rs 100 and double Rs 150. For bus and truck, the revised rate for single is Rs 200 and double it will be Rs 305, whereas for three-axle commercial vehicle, earlier it was Rs 160 for single and Rs 240 for double, which has now been increased to Rs 220 (single), and Rs 330 for double.
For heavy commercial vehicles (four to six axles), the previous rate was Rs 210 for a single and Rs 320 for a double which has now been increased to Rs 315 for a single and Rs 475 for a double. The new tariff for vehicles with more than seven axles is Rs 385 for single and Rs 580 for double.
