[varun.ppl]

Originally Posted by eclectix 1st

A lot of people don't realise that they get a discount when you buy a return pass or double pass.

So I think the attendant was in fact trying to help varun save some money.

Thanx Bro!

but being an educated tax paying citizen i know my duties & rights. As i said i was returning back to Delhi so, how on earth will he want me to buy a multiple ticket.

Apart from this coming back to the topic, why is that our highways don't last for even 7 years odd.

In 2002, i made a trip to Jammu & then the NH-1 was just completed, shining & inviting you to press the accelerator but now it has deterioirated a lot. Maintenance works being carried out are not really great.

Talking about the taxes, well as someone already has pointed out about Road Tax, Income Tax & i had initially told about Petrol Cess etc.

Well, people will say Road Taxes are meant for city roads(city premises) man on NH-1 we r driving in cities only.

The whole country's 2% of I.T. goes to Highway construction every year whereas 20% in the pockets of ministers as their salaries. Why can't they cut down on their pockets.

Also, if u all have ever noticed that 2-wheelers(i know only about NH-1) aren't charged tolls & also tractors & trollies too. Also, vehicles of ministers, dignitaries, defence vehicles are exempted from taxes.

My question: Aren't these people using the resources? As a matter of the fact most of the accidents caused in J&K on NH-1 are caused by military vehicles & they are left scot-free. Majority of the accidents are due to tractors & 2-wheelers on highways.

IMHO Its high time the govt. answers some questions!!

[Gill]

In state like Punjab,the toll levied is some cases are out to out stupidity,take example for Chandigarh to Anandpur sahib road,one pays Rs55 for 79 km stretch,from Chandigarh to Kiratpur that is for 72 Km it's a single road,and if you get to drive on it,u will just love it,avg speed is about 35-40 km/hr,there are no potholes on the road,they simply are dug outs,same is the case for Chandigarh to Jallanher road,person is charged 72 rs for a stretch of 180km to n fro,which is just a single road and you never know who's going to pop out from village roads which joins it.
Govt is minting money as most of the contractors gives out hefty amount to political patires for this,and then they keep on charging the people with out any rationale.
I too avoid paying them toll and always take the roads going through villages,but then too in some cases there are no alternatives.
One thing more:-For chandigarh to anadpur sahib Road the road is under construction,one pays rs 40 for using the strect of 7 km,now i shall say our Govt is very proactive,they charge even before the road is constructed and well laid.
It's sad that this is going on.Hope that something changes and there is pay as per usage thing like KM travelled charged at particaular rate/Km or even better way.And why do we pay Road tax by the way.

[Monaro]

Originally Posted by Jeep

26 Rs for a 20 km stretch?

You think thats steep?, We pay Rs.20 for 5.7kms of DND(Delhi-Noida-Delhi) flyway oneway.

The toll at gurgaon has been increased for commercial vehicles now, its Rs.17 to enter Gurgaon and Rs.52 to exit, but there's a loophole who almost every taxi driver exploits, Getting into the TAG lane where the boom barrier is disabled during peak hours and passing through without paying anything.Hence the whole purpose of increasing the toll is defeated.

[varun.ppl]

I guess this should go in the fuel prices topic but as it has some conjunction so:

The Govt. of gujarat has waived of service charges on Petroleum products thus making it cheaper by Rs. 1.38 per litre for petrol & some thing for diesel. Modi says that Gujarat is the biggest tax paying state in the country & what it gets as a revenue from the Centre Govt. is meagre.

Now, the point is that State Highways in Gujarat are really well maintained & there is virtually zero toll tax on them. Comparing it vis-a-vis with other states, the highways are in shambles & the govt. is raising toll like hell.

Another fact, that on NH-1, the toll rates have been revised on 1st Feb, 2008. I assumed that once when toll was fixed it was meant to remain constant because the cost calculations would have taken place earlier & then the toll would have been decided. I guess, we need some good financial analysts.!!

[tsk1979]

Toll on NH1 has increased to fund the Panipal flyover.
But the worst is not over. You will have to stop at another toll gate once the flyover comes up.
This means that in a distance of 50-60kms you will have 2 toll gates, and that to chock a block with trucks.
You will waste more fuel idling than travelling from inside the city.
But since they authorities are aware that people may choose not to use the flyover, they have constructed the gates so that you have to pay toll whether you use the flyover or not.

[ankit.jhamb]

there is another toll gate coming up at kundli sonipat,and another one is almost complete(panipat).this was observed while going to simla from delhi.

now at present we pay toll tax thrice
1.karnal(Rs 70)
2.ambala(Rs 13)
3.himachal(Rs 35)

with the construction of two more toll gates we would end up paying more for a 70 km journey.i expect the toll tax to be around rs 50 per entry for panipat and rs 25 for kundli sonipat..
but i think if they can offer us good roads without any potholes,i dont mind paying for toll tax.

[varun.ppl]

Well, to fund the Panipat flyover. I thought panipat flyover k liye there was this new toll gate just after the flyover is over which means we end up paying more toll.

Man! looks like i have to purchase a bullock cart for my next travelouge!!

[aaggoswami]

I dont think that the toll taxes are justified except for GQ ( Golder Quadrilateral ). The NE-1 saves us lot of time and fuel.
But at other places, we have to pay toll, face horrible traffic and traffic jams, and eventually waste our fuel.

We have to pay income tax, then tax on each and every drop of fuel we buy ( check the other thread " Fuel Price thread ") and the tax on fuel is suffecient for the government to give us good roads.

Even after paying toll, if one is not getting good roads, reasonably disciplined traffic, etc, then that toll tax cannot be justified.

[Abhijat]

Originally Posted by varun.ppl

This question was looming in my mind since i was at the rear seat of my car about 5-6 years back & still today when i drive.

On my recent trip to Jammu, i had to shell out Rs. 245 as part of the toll tax for a journey of 590 kms. Leaving out the toll tax at J & K Border(Rs. 70), from Delhi to Jalandhar for a distance of 372 kms the toll tax is Rs. 175 i.e. appx 50 paisa per km.

Though, the roads are fine, 4 lanes (people make them 6-lanes while overtaking like maniacs) but what about the towns & cities that come in between the highways.

In Punjab, even small towns & pinds are situated right in the middle of the highway. Then, what is the use of thrashing the accelerator at 120+km/hr at free roads & then travelling at 30 odd in these cities. Your avg. spped comes out to be 60 odd for the whole distance which is the speed in Delhi then why charge taxes.

Also, there are some other reasons:

1. The people sitting on those desktops in the collection huts are so dumb that they don't know how to press Ctrl+P. They do it by the conventional click method.

2. The person standing outside are such fools. an example yesterday when i was returning back from Jammu, at the Karnal toll tax i gave 70 Rs.. The toll charges are 70 rs. for single side & 105 for multiple entry.
The person asked me "Ek paase ya dou paase" .(Single side or double side). I was so pissed that i asked him gimme for both the sides.

3. The govt. is charging Cess/Tax in petrol which is there for highway construction & maintenance.

I believe that though toll taxes should be there but then proper facilities should also be provided!!

I am not against toll taxes.What is required is better management.

Have e-tag, online payments. I really like the way DND flyway manages the huge load of traffic.

The stretch is also well maintained.