Highways in Gujarat in shambles, yet toll collection soars to ₹8,702 cr in 5 years

Several national highways passing through Gujarat are in a poor condition, causing severe inconvenience to motorists. Despite the dilapidated state of the roads, vehicle owners are still being forced to pay toll tax. Over the last five years, the state has collected a massive ₹8,702 crore from motorists as toll tax.

This monsoon, heavy rainfall washed away not only city and district roads but also major highways. The bad condition of roads has drawn criticism from all quarters, forcing the state government to issue directions for urgent repairs.

Ministers in charge were even asked to visit their respective constituencies, assess road conditions firsthand, and submit reports.

National highways were no exception to the damage caused by rainwater. The Ahmedabad–Himmatnagar national highway was reduced to a battered stretch, yet motorists had to shell out toll tax.

Eventually, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari himself visited Gandhinagar and held a meeting, instructing officials to carry out immediate repair work on national highways.

At present, Gujarat has a total of 62 toll plazas on national highways that charge ₹70 for cars and jeeps to as high as ₹500 for heavy vehicles.

In 2020–21, toll tax collection in the state stood at ₹1,196 crore. By 2024–25, this figure had nearly doubled, with ₹2,113 crore collected during the year.

Moreover, penalties worth ₹78.58 crore were recovered from vehicle owners who did not have FASTag.