Latest news with #Fastag
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court puts on hold order barring TNSTC buses from crossing NHAI toll plazas in south T.N.
The Madras High Court on Thursday (July 10, 2025) kept in abeyance till July 31, 2025, an order passed by it on Tuesday (July 8), directing four National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) concessionaires in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu not to let Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses pass through their toll plazas due to the non-payment of toll arrears of ₹276 crore. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh kept his order in abeyance after Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran informed the court that the Transport Secretary had called for a meeting on Thursday with the NHAI concessionaires and hopefully, some solution would be found, though the government had reservations about the quantum of arrears. The judge said, the issue of fixing Fastag in the TNSTC buses could also be resolved since it had now become mandatory for all motor vehicles, and failure to fix them could lead to the levy of penalty. He also took into consideration the hardship that would be caused to those who use public transport before deciding to keep his previous order in abeyance. Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Private Limited, Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Private Limited, and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited had filed a batch of writ petitions in 2024, accusing the TNSTC of not having settled a huge amount of toll arrears. Passing interim orders on the petitions on Tuesday, the judge had directed them not to permit TNSTC buses to ply through the Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur, and Nanguneri toll plazas, and directed the Director General of Police as well as Inspector General of Police (south zone) to deploy adequate police force at those plazas.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court may modify order preventing TNSTC buses from crossing four toll plazas in south Tamil Nadu
The Madras High Court on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) agreed to hear on Thursday (July 10) a plea by Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) to modify its July 8, 2025, order directing four National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) concessionaires in southern districts to prevent the government buses from plying through their toll plazas due to non-payment of toll arrears of ₹276 crore. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh accepted a request made by Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran for an early hearing of the matter and directed the High Court Registry to list it on Thursday morning. The AAG assured the court that he would take up the issue with the State transport department and come up with a solution for settling the arrears that had mounted over the years. The judge had on Tuesday (July 8) ordered that TNSTC buses should not be allowed to ply through the toll plazas at Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur, and Nanguneri from July 10, 2025, and directed the Director General of Police/Head of Police Force as well as the Inspector General of Police (south zone) to deploy adequate police force at the four toll plazas to prevent any untoward incident0s. The judge said, he had no choice but to take the extreme step of preventing public transportation through the toll plazas since the arrear amount was continuing to increase due to levy penalty and interest. He also stated that the transport department may not come to the negotiating table and find a solution to the issue unless some shocking order was passed against it. The interim order was passed on a batch of writ petitions filed by Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Private Limited, Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Private Limited, and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, accusing TNSTC buses of failing to settle toll charges and not installing Fastag on the vehicles.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Don't let TNSTC buses cross toll plazas in south Tamil Nadu, Madras High Court directs four NHAI concessionaires
The Madras High Court, on Tuesday (July 8, 2025), ordered that Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses shall not be allowed to ply through the toll plazas maintained by four concessionaires on the national highways leading to the southern districts of the State from July 10. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh said, he had no choice but to take the extreme step of preventing public transportation through the toll plazas since the State transport department had not taken steps to settle arrears of ₹276 crore to the four National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) concessionaires. 'Deploy police' Conscious of passing a shocking order that could lead to law and order situation, the judge directed the Director General of Police/Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF) to ensure deputation of adequate police force at Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur and Nanguneri toll plazas to prevent untoward incidents. The judge directed the High Court Registry to mark a copy of his interim order to the DGP as well as the Inspector General of Police (south zone) for compliance in letter and spirit and decided to take stock of the situation on July 15. The concessionaires Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Private Limited, Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Private Limited and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited had approached the court last year by filing individual writ petitions. Senior counsel Sathish Parasaran, representing the writ petitioners, contended that his clients had been suffering huge losses due to the failure of Tamil Nadu government buses to pay toll charges despite using the national highways for transporting their passengers. No Fastag He said, most of the government buses also do not have Fastag facility in violation of the rules framed by the Centre. Mr. Parasaran said, the toll plaza staff could not dare to stop the buses, for non-payment of toll, because of the fear of it snowballing into a law and order situation. It was brought to the notice of the court that the State transport corporations had settled only about ₹48.5 crore and that still ₹276 crore (including the principal amount of ₹116 crore apart from penalty and interest) was yet to be paid to the four NHAI concessionaires. After recording the submissions, Justice Venkatesh said, the amount might end up growing to over ₹300 to ₹400 crore if the transport corporations continue to prolong the issue without quickly sitting across the table with the concessionaires in order to settle the dues. He also observed the government officials may not understand the seriousness of the issue and act swiftly unless an extreme step of stopping the buses at the toll plazas was resorted to. He said, the corporations had brought such a precarious situation upon themselves thereby adversely affecting the common people.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Minister urges rule tweaks for unified parking plan in Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Mumbai: Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik asked the urban development department (UDD) to make necessary changes in its regulations for integrated parking management in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on Friday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He requested that a draft with 14 new guidelines be sent to the municipalities in the region. He was speaking at a meeting of municipal commissioners from the MMR called by the transport ministry. "This is being done with the objective to organise road traffic and avoid unnecessary congestion, and therefore it is important to introduce an integrated parking system in the metropolis," Sarnaik said. IAS officers from the UDD and the transport ministry, along with commissioners from various municipal corporations, were present at the meeting. Sarnaik said that in the future it would be mandatory for municipalities to provide special spaces for parking in their development plans. Accordingly, the urban development department should amend its regulations," he said. It was decided at the meeting that to avoid traffic congestion caused by illegal parking along roadsides in the future, municipalities should create a pay-and-park system on their vacant lands. Additionally, municipalities should explore creating pay-and-park systems with prior permission from private societies and landowners for parking between midnight and 6 am. On wider roads, municipalities should establish the alternate-day parking system to prevent congestion. A pay-and-park system based on Fastag technology would enable people to use it without human intervention. Sarnaik suggested that parking fees should be kept very low so that they are affordable and people can easily take advantage of the available parking facilities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Considering the shortage of space in metropolitan areas, underground parking facilities should be developed beneath parks and gardens. The Thane Municipal Corporation has implemented such a project, which serves as a model, and other municipalities should follow suit," Sarnaik said.
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Relief for travellers: Govt announces ₹3,000 annual toll pass on NHs
Addressing long-standing concerns of national highway users about high toll fees, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Wednesday announced an annual toll pass that will eliminate repeated toll deductions for personal passenger vehicles. 'In a transformative step towards hassle-free highway travel, we are introducing a Fastag-based annual pass priced at ₹3,000, effective from August 15. Valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips — whichever comes first — this pass is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, Jeeps, and vans,' Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said. A dedicated link for activation and renewal will soon be made available on the RajmargYatra application (app) as well as on the official websites of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and MoRTH. 'This policy addresses long-standing concerns regarding toll plazas located within a 60-kilometre (km) radius and simplifies toll payments through a single, affordable transaction. By reducing wait times, easing congestion, and minimising disputes at toll plazas, the annual pass aims to deliver a faster and smoother travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners,' Gadkari said. The annual pass is available only on the RajmargYatra mobile app and the NHAI website, and will reflect in the user's existing Fastag upon completion of payment. A dedicated link for the facility will be issued soon. The pass is valid only at national highway and national expressway fee plazas, the ministry said. At fee plazas on expressways, state highways, etc. managed by state governments or local bodies, the Fastag will operate as a regular Fastag, and applicable user fee charges may apply. According to the ministry, the pass is non-transferable and is valid only for the vehicle on which the Fastag is affixed and registered. Using it on another vehicle will lead to deactivation. According to the ministry's gazette notification, the rate for the pass will be subject to revision each year, in accordance with current revision standards, which are linked to the Wholesale Price Index. Experts say the policy will bring major relief to users, while its impact on highway operating companies will be minimal. 'The introduction of the annual toll pass will enhance convenience for travellers by streamlining passage through toll plazas. Given that the average passenger vehicle covers roughly 10,000 km per year — most of which occurs outside national highways — the direct impact on toll operators is expected to be minimal. However, this move brings additional advantages, including reduced congestion, improved operational efficiency, and smoother travel patterns. For frequent travellers who use toll roads for more than 2,500 to 3,000 km annually, the pass offers considerable cost savings and added convenience, making long-distance travel more seamless,' said Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, senior director and global head, consulting, Crisil Intelligence.
