TOLL TAX SOON ON FOUR SH IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

TOLL TAX SOON ON FOUR SH IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

6-JULY-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------Residents of Bhojpur district should now be prepared to pay higher toll taxes during their journeys. Under the Bihar government's new policy aimed at boosting revenue and improving road maintenance, the Road Construction Department has initiated preparations to implement a toll tax system on four major state highways in Bhojpur.

The department has surveyed these routes and submitted its report to the state headquarters. Concurrently, a separate survey is being conducted to determine the volume, category, and daily traffic flow of cars, buses, trucks, and heavy cargo vehicles using these routes.

The four major roads included under the toll tax plan are as follows:

Sakaddi-Nasirganj State Highway-81 (SH-81): It has a width of seven meters.

This is already a high-capacity route that is being upgraded to six lanes to meet future requirements.

According to regulations, state highways (SH) with a width of seven meters or more that are experiencing steadily increasing traffic pressure are being prioritized for toll taxation. All four selected roads in Bhojpur fully meet these criteria. Thousands of vehicles—both small and large—ply these roads daily, presenting significant revenue generation potential for the government.

The locations and number of toll plazas will be determined based on the survey report. Sources indicate that six to eight toll plazas are likely to be established across these four state highways.

Sikandar Paswan, Executive Engineer (Shahabad Zone) of the Road Construction Department, stated that the four major state highways were identified and a report was submitted following a request from the department. These are the routes likely to attract toll taxes, and further action will be taken in accordance with the department's subsequent directives.

A toll tax system is already in place on the Patna-Ara-Buxar and Ara-Mohania National Highways in the district. With toll collection now set to begin on state highways as well, transportation costs for both private commuters and commercial vehicles are expected to rise. However, the department maintains that the revenue generated from tolls will be utilized for road maintenance, repairs, and the development of improved traffic facilities. Big news for the residents of Bhojpur (Ara): Toll tax to be implemented soon on four state highways in the district.

Residents of Bhojpur district should now be prepared to pay higher toll taxes while traveling. Under the Bihar government's new policy aimed at boosting revenue and improving road maintenance, the Road Construction Department has initiated preparations to implement a toll tax system on four major state highways in Bhojpur.

The department has surveyed these routes and submitted its report to the state headquarters. Concurrently, a separate survey is being conducted to determine the volume, category, and daily traffic flow of cars, buses, trucks, and heavy cargo vehicles using these routes.

The four major roads included under the toll tax scheme are as follows:

Sakaddi-Nasirganj State Highway-81 (SH-81): It has a width of seven meters.

It is already a high-capacity route that is being upgraded to six lanes to meet future requirements.

According to regulations, state highways (SH) with a width of seven meters or more that are experiencing increasing vehicular traffic are being prioritized for toll tax implementation. All four selected roads in Bhojpur fully meet these criteria. Thousands of vehicles—both small and large—ply these roads daily, presenting a significant opportunity for government revenue generation.

The location and number of toll plazas will be determined based on the survey report. Sources indicate that six to eight toll plazas are likely to be established across these four state highways.

Sikandar Paswan, Executive Engineer of the Road Construction Department (Shahabad Zone), stated that four major state highways in the district were identified and a report was submitted following a departmental request. Toll taxes are likely to be levied on these routes, and further action will be taken in accordance with subsequent departmental directives.

A toll tax system is already in place in the district on the Patna-Ara-Buxar and Ara-Mohania National Highways. With the commencement of toll collection on state highways as well, an increase in transportation costs for both the general public and commercial vehicles is considered inevitable. However, the department maintains that the revenue generated from tolls will be utilized for road maintenance and repairs, as well as for developing better traffic facilities.