Lucknow: User charges on the Ganga Expressway will once again be levied starting from 12:00:01 am on May 15, just a second after the midnight of May 14. A car owner traveling via the 594-km-long speed corridor between Meerut and Prayagraj, and vice versa, will be liable to pay the toll fees. An amount of Rs 1,800 will have to be paid by a four-wheeler owner covering the entire distance. The UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) announced the package-wise charges that vehicle owners will be liable to pay.
Background of Toll Exemption
In a bid to encourage vehicle owners to experience the smooth ride firsthand, the UP government directed toll collection companies not to levy user charges during the first 15 days of operations. Toll collection was initiated right after April 29 midnight, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the carriageway of the expressway in Hardoi.
Vehicle Usage Statistics
On average, about 15,000 motor vehicles were using the carriageway daily, out of which 80% were private vehicles and the remaining were commercial or heavy vehicles. UPEIDA directed the toll collection companies to deploy the required manpower ahead of the commercial operations of the high-speed corridor.
Package-wise Toll Charges
For the first package, spanning between Meerut and Budaun with a length of 129.7 km, a toll fee of Rs 435 will be levied on cars and SUVs. For the second, third, and fourth packages—from Budaun to Hardoi (151.7 km), Hardoi to Unnao (155.7 km), and Unnao to Prayagraj (156.85 km)—the toll management companies will collect Rs 480, Rs 485, and Rs 400 from private vehicles, respectively. For a round trip, vehicle owners will be asked to pay 80% of the overall round-trip charges if completed within a 24-hour period.
Expressway Features
The six-lane-wide corridor links 12 districts in west, central, and eastern UP and has been designed to maintain a maximum speed limit of 120 km per hour. To connect intermediary cities and towns between Meerut and Prayagraj, 20 entry and exit ramps have been provided. With a budget of Rs 36,230 crore, almost 78% of the project was commissioned by Adani Enterprises Ltd (for the second, third, and fourth packages), while IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd was involved in the construction of the first package.
Expected Impact and Trucker Feedback
The average count of motor vehicles is expected to decline soon after toll charges are levied. Meanwhile, toll management companies conducted surveys with truck drivers and other heavy-vehicle owner-drivers over the past two weeks. A senior executive from a construction company involved in the survey process stated, 'While four-wheeler owners were interested in exploring the longest expressway of the state and their numbers would come down, we were interested in gathering feedback from truckers and heavy-duty vehicles. More than 85% of the truckers and heavy-vehicle drivers expressed their willingness to continue using the Ganga Expressway with or without toll exemption.'
Reasons for Trucker Preference
Uninterrupted movement between cities at increased speed was cited as the most crucial factor by truckers, as no-entry regulations force them to spend a lot of time on the outskirts of cities. The executive summarized their reactions: 'They said bringing down commute time is more important compared to the higher fees commanded over expressways in comparison to other routes, as they would be able to make increased income by making more trips through access-controlled speed corridors.'
