Expressing grave concern over recent toll tax increase on national highways and motorways on Monday Lawyers for Consumer Rights Forum (LCRF) urged National Highways Authority (NHA) to withdraw notification immediately to facilitate the commuters.
President LCRF Khudayar Mohla is of the view that the government is not meant for business. Terming recent increase in motorway and highways toll taxes unjustifiable and unlawful he said it will increase unfair burden on commuters. He further said that LCRF has principally decided to challenge the legality of increase in toll tax.
LCRF President Khudayar Mohla pointed out a large number of commuters will travel around the country on the occasion of Eidul Fitr and will pay unjustifiable extra toll taxes which is a sheer violation of fundamental rights.
It is pertinent to mention that the NHA has announced another toll tax increase on national highways and motorways saying the increase will take effect from April 01. An official notification has been released in this regard. The toll charges for cars will be Rs70, vans Rs150, and bes Rs250.
Two- and three-axle trucks would give Rs300, while larger trucks will pay Rs550. Major changes have been implemented on several key motorways, including M1, M3, M4, M5, M14, and E35. The toll for cars on the M1 Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway has increased from Rs500 to Rs550.
On the M3 Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorway, the fee has increased from Rs700 to Rs800. Likewise, car tolls on the M4 Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad-Multan route have gone up from Rs950 to Rs1,050, while those on the M5 Multan-Sukkur Motorway have increased from Rs1,100 to Rs1,200.
The M14 Dera Ismail Khan-Hakla Motorway now charges Rs650 for cars, up from Rs600. The toll for cars on the E35 Hasan Abdal-Havelian-Mansehra route has been increased from Rs250 to Rs300. For big machineries, toll rates across these motorways now range from Rs850 to Rs5,750.
