The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the government to establish a mechanism for refunding or waiving user fees on national highways when services fall below par. This recommendation comes in response to concerns about toll collection on highway stretches that are incomplete, under prolonged construction, or have significant deficiencies.
The PAC, led by Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, highlighted the need for a technology-driven and transparent system for automatic toll refunds or waivers when highway stretches are "incomplete, unfit, or unavailable fully or under maintenance". The committee drew a parallel to the Income Tax framework, where refunds are automatically processed for excess deductions or payments. The proposed system should be integrated with the electronic toll collection framework (FASTag) and operate without requiring user intervention, similar to how income tax refunds are processed.
The committee referenced sections 7 and 10 of the National Highways Act, which detail the government's authority to levy user fees for services on national highways and require the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct its functions according to sound business principles. The PAC emphasized that collecting tolls when essential services like safe, uninterrupted, and timely travel are not available is unacceptable. This violates the user-pay principle and the requirement for fair commercial conduct. They stated that toll should be charged only when the road is fully developed, safe, and usable as per approved standards. However, toll is being collected even when the road is incomplete or under expansion, or when lanes are closed due to ongoing widening, upgradation, or maintenance works.
The PAC also addressed the issue of "perpetual" toll collection on national highways, recommending that tolls be reduced or eliminated once capital and maintenance costs are recovered. The committee proposed establishing a tariff authority to ensure fairness in toll determination. They also expressed concerns about the lack of a mechanism to independently assess whether toll charges fairly reflect actual operation, maintenance costs, or future service needs. The committee desires that toll collection on any highway stretch must be rationalised and substantially reduced once capital and routine maintenance costs have been recovered. Any continuation of tolls beyond this point should be permitted only if clearly justified and approved by the proposed independent oversight authority.
Furthermore, the PAC observed operational shortcomings with FASTag, including malfunctioning scanners and a lack of uniform RFID infrastructure. They recommended on-site facilities for users to recharge, purchase, or replace FASTags. The committee suggested imposition of strong penalties on contractors or concessionaires, where toll was collected in this manner.
In conclusion, the PAC's recommendations aim to ensure that toll collection on national highways is fair, transparent, and directly linked to the quality of service provided. The proposed measures seek to protect user interests and promote equity in public infrastructure usage.
