The Deccan Chronicle 29.11.2010
Pay Rs 160 as toll tax to use ORRNov. 28: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority is finalising plans to collect toll tax on the Outer Ring Road from the new year. The toll tax rates are likely to be between Rs 25 and Rs 160 based on the type of vehicle and the distance travelled. The government will take a final call on the toll rates.
The HMDA has already sent its proposals to the government and is now awaiting approval. Earlier the plan was to start toll tax collection in the current calendar year, but this was delayed due to the change of guard at the State level.
It is expected that the toll tax proposals are likely to be placed before the new Chief Minister Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy after he is done with the Cabinet selection, swearing-in and other important assignments.
Officials are expecting that all formalities with regard to toll tax at the government level will be completed by third week of December, paving the way for HMDA to call for tenders for manual collection of toll in the new year (2011).
“Initially, we plan to collect toll tax manually. It is still to be decided whether the toll gates should be put up at exit points, interchange points or other vantage spots on the ORR. The toll will be confined to only 60-odd kilometres of the ORR that has been completed, i.e. the 24-km stretch between Gachibowli and Shamshabad and the 38-km stretch from Shamshabad to Pedda Amberpet. The toll on the remaining stretch of the 158-km long ORR will be levied as and when it is completed,” a senior official said.
The automated collection of toll tax will take a year to begin. Already six international agencies are in the race for this project and one or two of them will be finalised by March 2011.
