The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is all set to collect toll from motorists on the Nehru Outer Ring Road from the midnight of September 24 (00.00 hours of Sept 25).
To begin with, the toll will be collected from those using the southern stretch of the Expressway from Pedda Amberpet to Patancheru.
It will be collected only on vehicles plying on the main carriageway (8-lane access controlled Expressway). No toll will be collected on vehicles plying on the service roads.
The southern stretch runs from Pedda Amberpet (Vijayawada highway)via Shamshabad (Bengaluru highway) to Patancheru (Mumbai highway) and connects the link road to Gachibowli. The other stretch _ from Patancheru to Shamirpet _ will be opened to traffic soon.
HMDA and ORR officials told Express that toll will be collected at 12 Interchanges and 75 toll lanes will operated at present keeping in view the present volume of traffic. The method adopted will be closed tolling, ie, the road user will collect a token at the entry point and pay at the exit depending on the distance travelled. The charges are based on the rates fixed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and rounded off to the nearest Rs 10 as per GO Ms.No.92 issued on March 8 last year. The charges to be paid for travelling between each of the interchanges will be displayed prominently near all the interchanges.
The charges will vary for different categories of vehicles: 1) Car/Jeep/Van/LMV 2) LCV/Mini Bus 3) Bus/2-Axle Truck 4) 3-Axle Commercial Vehicle 5) HCM/EME/4,5,6-Axle Vehicle 6) 7 or more Axle Vehicle. The details are also uploaded on HMDA website: www.hmda.gov.in.
Collection of toll has been entrusted to PK Hospitality Services Pvt. Ltd on the basis of tenders. An amount of Rs 1,26,29,959 per month will be paid by the agency to Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) of HMDA towards toll charges for the southern stretch of ORR. The period of contract is 18 months from the date of commencement of toll operations. The agency has to make its own arrangements, provide necessary infrastructure for the toll operations including toll booths, boom barriers, computer hardware and software, generators, power supply, toll rate display boards, speed breakers and manpower.
Currently, APCPDCL is providing power at four points. The toll-collecting agency has applied for power supply to the eight other points also. Till power connection is given, generators will be used at the toll booths. The agency has to ensure that the processing time for collecting the user fee at the booths should not be more than 30 seconds. The agency is permitted to close the lanes at times without affecting the processing time during non-rush hours.
Toll collection will help the HGCL in proper maintenance of the Outer Ring Road and prevent entry of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and other prohibited vehicles onto the main carriage way as well as prevent vehicles from going in the wrong direction.
The HGCL has initiated the process of adopting the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), namely Toll Management System (TMS) and Highway Traffic Management System (HTMS) on ORR.
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