NHBF demands compensation for concessionaires over postponing of toll revision

New Delhi: The National Highways Builders Federation (NHBF) on Tuesday demanded that the concessionaires should be compensated for the loss of revenue on account of toll revision deferment following the imposition of model code of conduct by the Election Commission. NHBF is an umbrella body of highway developers organisation.

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On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked state-owned NHAI to defer toll revision on highways till the completion of the Lok Sabha elections. The toll on highways is revised from April 1 across the country.

"We are quite confident that the deferment of toll fee revision rate in view of the model code of conduct being in operation, will be suitably addressed by you (NHAI chairman) by providing cash compensation to our members for loss of revenue so as to place them in the same financial position as it would have enjoyed had there been no such statutory orders, "NHBF director general PC Grover said in a letter to the NHAI chairman.

Grover also sought clarification on whether the toll/fee rate revisions can be implemented by concessionaires based on the poll dates of the particular state in which the respective highways are situated or a common date would be announced by NHAI for implementation of the revision. The annual revision of toll hikes, which was expected to be in the range of an average 5 per cent, was to come into effect on April 1 for most tolled highways and expressways stretches across the country.

According to a senior NHAI official, the change in toll fee is part of an annual exercise to revise the rates that are linked to the changes in the wholesale price index-based inflation.

The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

There are around 855 user fee plazas on the national highway network on which user fee is levied as per National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. Out of these, around 675 are public-funded fee plazas and 180 are concessionaire-operated toll plazas.

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