Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that all toll plazas on national highways existing within 60 kms of distance from another fee collecting booth will be shut down in the next three months. Replying to the demands for Grants for Road Transport and Highways Ministry for 2022-23, the Union Minister also said that the government will come out with a new policy to replace toll plazas in the country with a GPS-based tracking toll system.
"We'll provide passes to locals having Aadhaar cards who reside near toll plazas. Further, I ensure that there will be only one toll plaza within 60 kms & if there's a 2nd toll plaza, then it will be shut in next 3 months," Union Road & Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
"All toll collecting points which are within 60 km of each other on the National Highways will be closed in the next three months," he said.
"We will come out with a new policy to replace toll plazas in the country with a GPS-based tracking toll system. It means that toll collection will happen via GPS. The money will be collected based on GPS imaging (on vehicles)," the Union Minister informed.
"We will equip highways with 650 wayside amenities. They would include dedicated AC rooms for lactating mothers to feed their child, washrooms, trauma center, helipad for helicopter ambulance among others," Gadkari said.
Further speaking on the developmental works undergoing in the country, Nitin Gadkari said, "In J&K projects worth Rs 7,000 crores are underway. About 1000 people are working inside Zojila tunnel in -8 degree Celsius. Work on Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway work has begun. By end of this year, we'll be able to reach Mumbai from Srinagar in 20 hours."
Also, he informed, "We've made it mandatory that every car carrying upto 8 passengers should've 6 airbags. Automobile industry complained of increased expenses. But we won't patronise the affluent at the cost of poor consumers' lives."
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