Govt suspends highway toll till Nov 11 midnight

To deal with the chaos at toll plazas arising out of the government’s junking Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the government on Wednesday suspended fee collection on all booths at National Highways till the midnight of November 11.

“We have issued instructions to suspend collection of fees on all toll plazas on National Highways till November 11 midnight,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said here. 

The government, he said, had earlier decided that the withdrawn Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would be accepted at plazas till November 11 midnight but that lead to chaos the absence of adequate change, causing massive traffic jams.

“We reviewed the situation and decided to suspend the collection of fees,” the minister said.

On being asked as to how the government plans to tackle the loss arising out of the non-collection of fee, Gadkari said government will bear it.