Finally, the ministry of road transport and highways has proposed to set up an independent regulatory body to monitor toll charged by private road builders on national highways. According to the proposal, this body will introduce service benchmarks and also monitor compliance with concession agreements signed between the toll collecting agency and the government.
There are serious deficiencies in the existing practice wherein there is considerable ambiguity with regard to the calculation of the toll levied on road users, and the time period for which this toll is authorised. Experts have pointed out that the existing system is faulty as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is playing the dual role of road builder as well as regulator. The NHAI cannot be expected to function in an unbiased manner as a regulator as it has a share in the toll collected by private agencies.
Likewise, there is a lack of trust when it comes to toll levied on roads within Maharashtra. Recently, angry activists in Kolhapur had repeatedly attacked toll collecting booths of the IRB Company, as they felt that the charges were unjustified. These activists complained that there was a complete mismatch between the poor quality of road and the amount of toll charged.
It was only after chief minister Prithviraj Chavan intervened that the IRB Company stalled toll collection at nine centres around Kolhapur. Pune has also seen numerous protests over toll collection in different parts of the city. Clearly, there is a need for greater transparency with regard to toll collection across the country and, hopefully, the body proposed by the road transport ministry will fulfil this requirement.
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