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<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Several suggestions in a comprehensive toll policy submitted to the government appear more people-friendly than the one in operation. For one, a high-level committee headed by the additional chief secretary said toll booths should be placed at least five km beyond municipal corporation limits, three km beyond municipal council limits and one km beyond village limits, said a senior bureaucrat privy to the report. &quot;In our 2009 policy, there was no such provision. As a result, even for entering Thane from Mumbai, one has to pay toll. The committee felt that all such toll booths should be shifted out of corporation limits,&quot; he said.</span></span></span><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial"> Moreover, the committee wants to make tolled construction time-bound: projects up to INR 100 crore must be completed within a year, from INR 100 crore to INR 300 crore within one and half years and above INR 300 crore in two years.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The draft policy was submitted long back, but the state government is sitting on it owing to a lack of consensus. &quot;We submitted the report after consulting all stake-holders. We found that toll abolition is impossible. Now it is for the state cabinet to take a decision on the new toll policy,&quot; the bureaucrat said.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">On toll rates, the panel has proposed one based on the length of the road, ranging between 50 paisa and INR 4.2 per km. For cars and all light motor vehicles (LMV), the toll rate will be 50 paisa per km, for light commercial vehicles (LCV) and minibuses INR 1.05 and for buses and trucks INR 2.2. &quot;The toll rate will be calculated on the basis of the length of the road multiplied by the prescribed rate,&quot; he explained.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">In the 2009 policy in operation now, it is based on the cost of the project. There is one slab for projects up to INR 40 crore, another for projects between INR 40 crore and INR 100 crore and a third for those between INR 100 crore and INR 400 crore.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">A separate toll rate has been proposed for permanent bridges or tunnels constructed for more than INR 10 crore. For a project costing between INR 10 crore and INR 15 crore, the toll will be INR 2.5 for LMVs, INR 3.75 for LCVs and buses and INR 7.5 for trucks or large buses.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Perhaps the only downer is the proposed distance between two toll booths: not less than 45km. The national highway authority has recommended 60km. Right now, there is no uniformity in gaps between booths across the state. The toll booths will have to provide electronic receipts, toilets, adequate space for parking and concrete pavements. As an additional source of revenue, the toll firm should be given rights to advertisement and development of land around the booth.</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp; <p><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p> </p>