Why toll at Parali Pudur plaza costs a bomb

TNIE looks at the NHAI calculation that shoots up fee at the facility on Madurai-Natham-Thuvarankurichi NH

- B ANBUSELVAN

TAMIL Nadu has 67 toll plazas maintained by the NHAI, and among them, the Parali Pudur plaza on Madurai - Natham Thuvarankurichi NH has gained the distinction of being the most expensive in the state.

The 61.12 km four-lane NH, starting at Gokhale Road and ending at Thuvarankurichi, connects Dindigul and Tiruchy, charges ₹190 for a single trip by car, ₹305 for minivan or tempo van, and 635 for truck or bus.

In comparison, other six-lane highways like the Walajahpet Pallikonda and Hosur - Krishnagiri sections, where the highways fenced for 80% of the stretch on both sides, charge ₹110 and 85 respectively. Why is the Madurai - Thuvarankurichi NH so costly? A closer look at the toll calculation formula used by NHAI reveals that of the 190 for a car, 101 is solely for crossing the 7-km elevated corridor from Madurai to Chettikulam. Additionally, ₹66.54 is charged for the 45 km stretch, and ₹18.99 for the 8.6 km Natham bypass road.

Toll collection on this route began on February 2 this year.

According to NH Fee (Determination of Rates & Collection) Rules 2008 and RTI responses obtained by TNIE from NHAI, the total tollable length of elevated structures is calculated using an equalisation factor of 10. This means the 6.9 km elevated corridor is charged as if it were a 69.3 km highway when calculating the fee.