The Centre on Saturday granted permission to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to resume toll collection on National Highways from April 20. The transport fraternity is, however, protesting against the move.

"In view of the relaxation provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the interstate and intrastate movement of all trucks and other goods/carrier vehicles, NHAI should take actions necessary for compliance of the orders of Home Ministry of Home and tolling operations be resumed w.e.f. 20th of April 2020,” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a letter to NHAI.

The Government had on March 25 announced temporarily suspending toll collection on national highways to ease emergency services in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Replying to a letter from the road-making agency, the ministry said the NHAI in letters dated April 11 and 14 has highlighted reasons for resuming the collection of user fee on national highways, saying that the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed a lot of activities with effect from April 20, including commercial and private establishments and construction activities.

It has been further highlighted that user fee collection contributes to the government exchequer and also provides financial strength to NHAI in terms of budgetary support," the letter mentioned.

However, transporters' apex body All India Motor Transport Congress has opposed the move.

"This is undeserving. On one hand the Government want the continuity of essential supplies and which our fraternity is doing against all odds and at even loss, in service of the nation and another hand they will now tax us when the business is already at bottoms," said AIMTC president Kuktaran Atwal. AIMTC represents about 95 lakh truckers and transport entities.

"The entire transport fraternity is financially broke and does not have finance for operations and bringing back drivers either, which is another big challenge. Yet the government instead of extending this sector a helping hand by giving a bare minimum rescue package, submitted by AIMTC, it is burdening it with toll charges that account for 20 percent of the operating costs," Atwal said.

Earlier, the road transport and highways ministry had advised the NHAI to follow the Home Ministry's guidelines about toll plaza operations following the lockdown. The prevailing condition may be treated as "Force Majeure" of concession or contract agreement in terms of the Finance Ministry, it had said.