Question : NORMS FOR ALLOTMENT OF TOLL BARRIERS

(a) whether different norms have been adopted for allotment of toll barriers;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the reasons for not adopting uniform norms in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF SHIPPING, ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI T.R. BAALU)

(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 293 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2008 ASKED BY SHRI A. SAI PRATHAP, REGARDING NORMS FOR ALLOTMENT OF TOLL BARRIERS

(a) to (c) The allotment of toll plaza for collection of user fee for the Public funded projects completed under National Highways Development Project (NHDP) phase I & II is made to ex-servicemen agencies sponsored by the Director General Resettlement (DGR), Ministry of Defence. Recently NHAI has been asked to adopt Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) system for improving toll collection.

At present, the policy of the Government for the projects under NHDP III to VII is to build road infrastructure on Public Private Partnership (PPP mode). Toll collection for such projects is the responsibility of the concessionaire and, therefore, toll plaza is to be managed by the concessionaire.

In non-NHDP projects, the user fee shall be collected by the State Governments concerned departmentally or through private contractors on the basis of competitive bidding. Allotment of toll barrier depends on the choice of mode of collection of user fee.