KIA expressway nets highest daily toll in Karnataka

The much-protested toll on the expressway between Hebbal flyover and Kempegowda International Airport may be taxing for commuters, but it makes cash registers ring for the private handler Navayuga Devanahalli Tollway Pvt Ltd.

The expressway has emerged as the highest revenue-earning motorway in Karnataka.

Sharing statistics provided by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD) Minister H C Mahadevappa in the Legislative Council on Tuesday said, on an average the daily toll collection on this stretch is a whopping Rs 32.42 lakh for a mere 22-km distance.

Official NHAI sources said the average daily collection of Rs 32.42 lakh was calculated on the basis of the revised toll rates introduced on May 4 this year.

The average daily collection on 17 national and two state highways is Rs 3 crore, and for a year it is nearly Rs 134.55 cr. The roads and collection are managed by private agencies.

After KIA expressway, the Hungund-Hospet stretch is the next-highest earner with a daily average of Rs 30.30 lakh.

While the collection may be close to that of KIA Expressway, the distance it covers is 98 km—four times that of the KIA expressway. Overall, the State shows that concessionaire agencies are collecting as much as Rs 3 crore each day by way of toll charges from commuters using the upgraded or “under upgradation” national highways.

In his reply to Capt Ganesh Karnik (BJP), the minister said 17 roads in the State are designated tollways along NH routes. Only two state highways out of nearly 146 are tolled.

Providing details of the routes where the NHAI has provided concessionaires an opportunity to collect toll, Mahadevappa said the toll collected on these stretches are utilised to maintain them for the designated period of concession.

“The toll collected on these roads are used by the concessionaires to maintain them under the National Highways Act of 1956,” he said.

Other major revenue earners for private concessionaires are the Bijapur-Hungund road which brings in an average Rs 26 lakh per day for a distance of 97 km and the Bangalore-Hosur section on NH-7 which earns Rs 27.50 lakh per day for a distance of 33.25 km.

The State Government has no jurisdiction over the 17 routes designated by the NHAI as national highways. Only those routes which do not fall under the ambit of the NHAI are considered as state highways and can be tolled by the State, if required.

Among state highways, SH-34 connecting Dharwad-Ramanagara and SH-10, known as the Ribbanpalli road in Gulbarga, are being tolled. The toll on both these routes are being collected by GVR Infrastructure Limited. While SH-34 toll collection per day is Rs 1 lakh, SH-10 earns Rs 6 lakh per day.

Meanwhile, as per the details given in the response, the NHAI has shown over four routes connecting Bangalore being tolled at 15 locations.

These roads are the KIA Expressway, NH-7 between Bangalore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Hosur, NH-4 between Bangalore-Nelamangala and Mulbagal-Bangalore.