Team-BHP > Street Experiences


Reply
  Search this Thread
57,706 views
Old 18th March 2015, 18:58   #61
Team-BHP Support
 
manson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 3,933
Thanked: 4,156 Times
Re: Toll Free roads likely in Maharashtra for cars and SUVs

IMHO, either the authorities across the country should come up with a uniform one time nation wide road tax, or levy a toll charge for vehicles bearing out of state registrations upon entering into a foreign state.
Paying toll taxes for using a highly taxed produce (cars, tempos, trucks, etc.) despite paying a relatively high road tax at time of registration is highway robbery.
manson is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 18th March 2015, 19:46   #62
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 295
Thanked: 380 Times
Re: Toll Free roads likely in Maharashtra for cars and SUVs

Quote:
Originally Posted by manson View Post
IMHO, either the authorities across the country should come up with a uniform one time nation wide road tax, or levy a toll charge for vehicles bearing out of state registrations upon entering into a foreign state.
Paying toll taxes for using a highly taxed produce (cars, tempos, trucks, etc.) despite paying a relatively high road tax at time of registration is highway robbery.
That is one way of looking at it. But the other way is - you pay for what you use. Tax on registration is no different from sales tax or any other indirect tax, which is applied on whatever good you buy. Toll taxes are for actual usage and are paid by the person who is actually using a particular road/highway. To put things in stark contrast...imagine a taxi that is doing multiple daily shuttles between Mumbai and Pune. And on the other hand, a private car user living in a remote village location with no special infrastructure or road facilities. As per your formula, both of them would end up paying the same tax. In reality, the taxi guy probably does 800km on highways and wide roads which have built at thousands of crores for his benefit, while the villager gets no facilities and probably drives a few km per day. I see no reason why they should not be taxed differentially for the varying levels of service that they enjoy.

Toll taxes are specifically imposed to recover the cost for construction out of the usage of the road itself. This is not supposed to be a general purpose tax that goes into a government kitty (exception being Mumbai entry points). Most NHAI tolls are operated by private operators who have built the roads under PPP contracts. If they are removed, then we will surely go backwards in infrastructure development as there is no incentive for private money or bank funding to come into road development.
reverse_gear is offline   (4) Thanks
Old 19th March 2015, 04:22   #63
BHPian
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Providence
Posts: 135
Thanked: 113 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

I am yet to understand the reason a country like USA has majority of excellent quality toll free roads while India sees an increasing number of roads, some of which are terribly maintained, being turned into tolled ones. Any explanations please?

Regards

Himanshu
bhardwhu is online now  
Old 19th March 2015, 08:49   #64
Senior - BHPian
 
NetfreakBombay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Bombay
Posts: 1,464
Thanked: 1,005 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Quote:
Originally Posted by bhardwhu View Post
I am yet to understand the reason a country like USA has majority of excellent quality toll free roads while India sees an increasing number of roads
India and US have road networks of similar size. But US has way more money to spend on roads.

India : 4.8 million KMs (Second highest in the world)
US : 6.5 million KMs (Highest in the world)

While in terms of Money, US economy is 8 times that of India (GDP : ~16 trillion vs ~2 trillion).

So, obviously India has lesser amount of money that is available to spend on roads per km.

Last edited by NetfreakBombay : 19th March 2015 at 08:50.
NetfreakBombay is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 19th March 2015, 09:48   #65
BANNED
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Gurugram
Posts: 7,969
Thanked: 4,786 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Quote:
Originally Posted by bhardwhu View Post
I am yet to understand the reason a country like USA has majority of excellent quality toll free roads while India sees an increasing number of roads, some of which are terribly maintained, being turned into tolled ones. Any explanations please?
India took the route of toll roads since the state did not have the money to construct and support a free network. Then they adopted the BOOT or BOT model and conveniently forgot the T. Another, slip up was not allowing a km wide economic zone along the highway which could be used for industry and warehouses. Furthermore, we have converted existing trunk roads into toll roads with no free alternative. Construct parallel two lane non toll roads, and convert the existing highways to limited access may be a better alternative. This will segregate local and slow traffic to these.

MH has another problem, due to political reasons there is a proliferation of toll boots some even within 40 km of each other. I read somewhere that the law prefers 80km or so between these.

Last edited by sgiitk : 19th March 2015 at 09:50.
sgiitk is offline   (4) Thanks
Old 19th March 2015, 11:42   #66
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: mumbai
Posts: 2,135
Thanked: 2,997 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

What I have observed is that where ever toll collection has stopped, the roads have deteriorated. Consider the two laned Pune Hyderabad NH9. Right now there is no toll and some amount of 4 laning work is in progress and frankly the existing 2 lane tarmac is in shambles. I remember about 6 years back the NH9 was a fantastic piece of road, smooth and with all signage, and tolls were being collected. So its our choice, do we accept sub saharan roads with no tolls or good roads with tolls?
apachelongbow is offline  
Old 19th March 2015, 15:30   #67
Team-BHP Support
 
manson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 3,933
Thanked: 4,156 Times
Re: Toll Free roads likely in Maharashtra for cars and SUVs

Quote:
Originally Posted by reverse_gear View Post
As per your formula, both of them would end up paying the same tax. In reality, the taxi guy probably does 800km on highways and wide roads which have built at thousands of crores for his benefit, while the villager gets no facilities and probably drives a few km per day. I see no reason why they should not be taxed differentially for the varying levels of service that they enjoy.
If discretion of usage is the concern over levy of tolls, how do you justify paying an equal rate of road tax for an urban user who drives less than 3,000 Kms/year compared another who drives 15,000/year within the same city?
Keeping in mind that the vehicle registration tax goes to the state, is it that much more to ask to let users drive without having to pay a toll tax within the same state?

This way or that, raising of money every other year for maintenance or redoing of roads is not necessary if the authorities are vigilant in the construction quality when the work is in progress.
manson is offline  
Old 19th March 2015, 16:12   #68
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 295
Thanked: 380 Times
Re: Toll Free roads likely in Maharashtra for cars and SUVs

Quote:
Originally Posted by manson View Post
Keeping in mind that the vehicle registration tax goes to the state, is it that much more to ask to let users drive without having to pay a toll tax within the same state?
The toll on highways (which is the bulk of toll) goes either to NHAI (which is a central government body) or to the private developers who have been awarded the contract for road building. That is the mechanism through which national highway road works are funded through external sources, and state governments do not contribute to building of these roads or receive revenues from these roads.

I am also not in favour of tolls on all and sundry state roads (as I have mentioned in an earlier post in this thread) or tolls within urban area limits. These should be funded directly by the state government out of its taxes and funds raised. "Toll free Maharashtra" is actually only applicable for state roads and will not apply to NH. I am not sure about the logic of applying a higher toll for CVs to compensate for private car toll...that is just plain stupid as it is eventually a burden on the citizen.
reverse_gear is offline  
Old 19th March 2015, 17:05   #69
BHPian
 
sukhoi30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 344
Thanked: 505 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Toll plazas in Maharashtra has become a contentious issue for quite some time. It has become such an issue that a certain political party has taken lot of mileage out of this issue and is responsible for several law and order problems in the state. Now, why has this become such an issue? First of all the entry point tolls to Mumbai ... these were introduced several years ago. This was necessary to fund many bridges, roads that lead into Mumbai business district.

Mumbai has expanded laterally over several years. There are many many office workers who stay in the suburbs and commute to their offices in south. Everyday, they have to pay the toll unnecessarily. These toll booths have since become irrelevant. Either they should be shifted several kms outside of Mumbai or completely scrapped.

Some tolls within Mumbai doesn't make sense like the Aarey road toll. That road is like the surface of mars. But everyday toll is levied by people who more or less act like goons. So, people just don;t know where the money goes.

People who stay near by toll booths should be exempt from tolls as they need to move around often. This factor is not kept in mind when raising toll booths.

There are several tolls which are levied in Maharashtra which are pure state roads or single/double lane roads. Govt or whoever levies these tolls have no right to do so and should scrap such tolls.

Tolls for high funded projects like sea-link, Mumbai-Pune expressway should continue as otherwise their maintenance will get affected severely.

Lastly but importantly, the toll collection system is vintage process. Call it uneducated drivers or lack of will to "teach" drivers, the ETC system is simply not working. There is always traffic jams around toll booths. It is a big pain for people in Mumbai for whom each minute is precious.

PN: Maharashtra is the highest tax paying state in India. Accordingly the infrastructure is not being provided to the state. Most state roads are in a mess. Mumbai-Goa road is a prime example. Compare with Gujarat and you will see the difference.
sukhoi30 is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 20th March 2015, 19:19   #70
BHPian
 
bread's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: navi mumbai
Posts: 63
Thanked: 34 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

After all this debate and discussion, i got a message that from april 1st mumbai roads will be sans toll charges for private cars and suv's.
How much of that is true?
bread is offline  
Old 21st March 2015, 12:11   #71
BHPian
 
yogi1771's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: mumbai
Posts: 697
Thanked: 15 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Check the date when that is going to be passed April 1st(April fools day )
yogi1771 is offline  
Old 21st March 2015, 12:32   #72
BHPian
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 776
Thanked: 694 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Quote:
Originally Posted by bhardwhu View Post
I am yet to understand the reason a country like USA has majority of excellent quality toll free roads while India sees an increasing number of roads, some of which are terribly maintained, being turned into tolled ones. Any explanations please?
One possible reason is that the amount of income tax collected by US from its citizens is higher than the total annual central budget here.
gsurya is offline  
Old 21st March 2015, 13:58   #73
BHPian
 
Slush_Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 67
Thanked: 50 Times

I stay at miraroad as soon as I hit the nh8 toward mumbai there's dahisar check nakka we pay Rs. 35 and then take right towards link road. So for some 600 meters of travel on the western express way we have to pay 70 rs on a two way journey which is really irritating.
Slush_Traveller is offline  
Old 21st March 2015, 14:36   #74
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: mumbai
Posts: 2,135
Thanked: 2,997 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slush_Traveller View Post
I stay at miraroad as soon as I hit the nh8 toward mumbai there's dahisar check nakka we pay Rs. 35 and then take right towards link road. So for some 600 meters of travel on the western express way we have to pay 70 rs on a two way journey which is really irritating.
What is more irritating is that, the greedy thugs have closed off all alternate routes to ensure that we have to pass in and out of Mumbai via the 5 toll gates only. If this is not extortion then I don't know what is!!!
apachelongbow is offline  
Old 23rd March 2015, 22:54   #75
Senior - BHPian
 
phamilyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 5,968
Thanked: 4,635 Times
Re: 44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down

Logical sounding but even more #facepalm stuff from the PMOIndia handle on twitter:
44 Toll Plazas in Maharashtra to be shut down-cayoyhausaauiym.jpg
Go ahead, eliminate unnecessary toll checkpoints - but make sure its paid for, by users, by combining other tolls, and not by the exchequer!
phamilyman is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks