Toll is must if you want good roads: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari did some plain-speaking and ruled out any exemption from toll collection at national highways, saying one has to pay for good services.

Participating in an interview session with noted Marathi poet Ramdas Phutane at an event in Pune on Monday, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways flagged that toll collection is common across the world as good roads help motorists save both fuel and time.

While he agreed that toll collection should stop finally, he asserted that he cannot promise waiver from the tax on national highways at this juncture.

"Good roads save on fuel and time and give life security. If you want good services, you will have to pay for it," he said, responding to questions about toll tax being collected on national highways. He also pointed out that there was a time when it took nine hours to travel from Pune to Mumbai; the same distance is now covered in two hours.