Islamabad: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has increased toll tax on motorways, national highways and motorways across the country. According to a notification issued by the agency, the revised rates have come into effect immediately, after which passengers, transport companies and freight vehicles travelling on various highways will have to pay higher toll fees than before.
According to the NHA, the new rates will be applicable to all relevant vehicles, including cars, waggons, minibuses, buses, two-axle, three-axle and articulated trucks. The toll tax has been increased on several important travel routes, including M1, M3, M4, M5, M14, E-35 Hazara Motorway, Kohat Tunnel and Islamabad-Murray Dual Carriageway.
Under the revised schedule, the toll tax on national highways has been fixed at Rs100 for cars, Rs200 for waggons and Rs300 for buses. Similarly, on the M3 Motorway (Lahore to Abdul Hakeem), cars will be charged Rs1,000, waggons Rs1,500, minibuses Rs2,200 and buses Rs3,150.
On the M4 Motorway (Pindi Bhattian to Multan), the toll for cars has been fixed at Rs1,350, waggons at Rs1,950, minibuses at Rs2,900 and buses at Rs4,050. Similarly, the toll fee on the M-5 Motorway (Multan to Sukkur) has been fixed at Rs 1,500 for cars, Rs 2,200 for waggons, Rs 3,250 for minibuses and Rs 4,600 for buses.
The NHA says that new rates have been implemented at all relevant toll plazas, and the fee is being collected from passengers as per the revised schedule. According to the agency, the toll revenue is used for maintenance, repair, expansion of highways and improvement of travel facilities.
Experts say that the recent increase in toll tax is expected to increase the operating costs of inter-provincial travel, freight and passenger transport. According to them, if the costs of transport companies increase, it may also have an impact on the delivery of essential goods and fares; however, it will depend on the pricing policy of the transporters and the overall economic conditions.
| Route | Car (Rs) | Wagon (Rs) | Minibus (Rs) | Bus (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route National Highways | Car: Rs. 100 | Wagon: Rs. 200 | Minibus: — | Bus: Rs. 300 |
| Route M-3 Motorway (Lahore – Abdul Hakeem) | Car: Rs. 1,000 | Wagon: Rs. 1,500 | Minibus: Rs. 2,200 | Bus: Rs. 3,150 |
| Route M-4 Motorway (Pindi Bhattian – Multan) | Car: Rs. 1,350 | Wagon: Rs. 1,950 | Minibus: Rs. 2,900 | Bus: Rs. 4,050 |
| Route M-5 Motorway (Multan – Sukkur) | Car: Rs. 1,500 | Wagon: Rs. 2,200 | Minibus: Rs. 3,250 | Bus: Rs. 4,600 |
