NHAI proposes ₹140 toll tax for full 60-km ride on Delhi-Meerut expressway

As per the tentative rates, a car travelling the full 60km length of the Delhi Meerut Expressway will have to pay ₹140 as toll fee.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday rolled out tentative toll rates for the Delhi Meerut Expressway (DME) between Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and invited bids from interested agencies to serve as toll collector. The DME was opened for commuters in April but no toll is levied currently.

The 59.77km 14-lane Delhi Meerut Expressway has three phases (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

As per the tentative rates, a car travelling the full 60km length of the DME will have to pay ₹140 as toll fee.

“The NHAI has invited bids for toll operators and proposed the toll rates. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will finalise the toll and then issue a notification to this effect,” said Mudit Garg, project director from NHAI. “The notification process may take a fortnight. Once the rates are approved, we will move forward to select the agency. For some routes, we are yet to decide on the toll and that will be rolled out later.”

The toll, he said, will be charged as per the distance travelled and will be deducted from the FASTag system linked to the vehicle. In case of non-FASTag vehicle, the authority will recover double the toll at the exit point and the driver will also be penalised, he added.

For the purpose of calculating the distance travelled, the NHAI has installed the automatic number-plate readers at all entry and exit points.

According to NHAI, the annual toll collection potential on the Expressway is estimated to be about ₹111.39 crore with cars/jeeps/light motor vehicles accounting for about 82% of the traffic and buses,trucks and other heavy vehicles accounting for 14%.

The 59.77km 14-lane DME has three phases — phase 1 links Sarai Kale Khan and UP Gate, phase 2 connects UP Gate and Dasna, and phase 4 connects Dasna and Meerut. Phase 3, which is a six-lane 32-km access-controlled alignment between Dasna and Hapur, does not come under DME.