According to government data, there are 1,063 toll plazas in India, out of which 14 toll plazas earn more than Rs 200 crore annually.
New Delhi: High toll charges have always been a major concern for commuters. But do you know which toll plaza generates the highest revenue in India? As per data released by the Modi government, the toll plaza in Gujarat’s Bharathana village is the most expensive in the country. This toll plaza is built on National Highway 48, which connects the national capital, Delhi, to the financial capital, Mumbai. It is the highest revenue-generating toll plaza in the country. This toll plaza earns approximately Rs 400 crore annually, based on the average of the past five years.
Over the last 5 years, India’s busiest highways have seen massive toll collections, with 10 toll plazas standing out for collecting the highest user fees in the country. These key toll points are located on some of India’s most critical road corridors, including the Grand Trunk Road, the Delhi-Mumbai Highway. According to the government data, these toll plazas have accumutaed a whopping Rs 13,988 crore from 2019-20 to 2023-24.
According to official data presented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in the Lok Sabha on March 20, the Bharthana toll plaza in Gujarat topped the list. Located on the Vadodara-Bharuch stretch of National Highway 48 (NH-48), Bharthana collected a staggering Rs 2,043.81 crore over the five-year period, with a record Rs 472.65 crore collected in 2023-24 alone.
According to government data, there are 1,063 toll plazas in India, out of which 14 toll plazas earn more than Rs 200 crore annually. Currently, toll is collected on approximately 45,000 kilometers of the 1.5 lakh kilometer NH network in the country, which also includes newly constructed expressways.
Goods from the northern states of India are transported to the western coast ports via NH-48. The second highest revenue-generating toll plaza in the country is also located on this highway. The toll plaza on NH-48 in Shahjahanpur, Rajasthan, generates an annual revenue of Rs 378 crore.
How Revenue Increased
The Modi government has built several new highways in the last five years. The use of FASTag has also reduced toll evasion, and as a result, revenue from toll collection has increased significantly. In the financial year 2019-20, toll revenue was Rs 27,504 crore. Last year, this revenue rose to Rs 55,882 crore.
According to government data, people have paid more than Ra 1.9 lakh crore in tolls over the past five years. However, this amount accounts for only one-fifth of the budget allocated for highway development and maintenance. The government imposes tolls only on highways that have at least two and a half lanes. It aims to levy tolls on more highways to further increase revenue.
According to the information provided in Parliament, Uttar Pradesh has 97 toll plazas. These toll plazas have generated the highest revenue of ₹22,914 crore in the last five years. On the other hand, Rajasthan has the highest number of toll plazas, with 156 in total. These toll plazas have earned ₹20,308 crore.
