Levy of Tolls on Motor Vehicles for Improvement and Maintenance of East Coast Road Connecting Chennai with Pondicherry for Certain Period under the Indian Tolls Act
The Highways and Minor Ports Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, issued G.O. Ms. No. 49 on 5 July 2017 to amend its notification dated 21 March 2002 and prescribe revised toll rates for motor vehicles using specified sections of East Coast Road. The revised rates applied from 15 July 2017 to 31 March 2018 and affected road users travelling between Chennai (Akkarai), Mahabalipuram and the Puducherry limit.
What the notification changed
G.O. Ms. No. 49 of the Highways and Minor Ports Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, amended Highways Department Notification No. II(2)HW/241(c-1)/2002 dated 21 March 2002, as subsequently amended. It replaced the toll schedule for three East Coast Road travel sections:
- Chennai (Akkarai) to Mahabalipuram and vice versa, described as four lane.
- Mahabalipuram to the Puducherry limit and vice versa, described as two lane.
- Chennai (Akkarai) to the Puducherry limit and vice versa, covering four lane and two lane sections.
The revised schedule applied from 15 July 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Who was affected
The revised toll schedule applied to users of the specified East Coast Road sections. Vehicle categories included cars, jeeps, vans, light motor vehicles, motorised three wheelers, light commercial and goods vehicles, mini buses, trucks, buses, three axle commercial vehicles, heavy construction machinery, earth moving equipment, multi axle vehicles and oversized vehicles.
The notification concerns road tolls. It does not set out provisions about land ownership, property registration or development rights.
Main toll provisions
The revised schedule provided different charges according to the road section and vehicle category. Available payment categories were:
- Single journey.
- Return journey within a day.
- Daily pass for multiple trips, valid for 24 hours.
- Pass for 50 trips, valid for three months.
- Monthly pass, valid for 30 days.
For a car, jeep, van, light motor vehicle or motorised three wheeler, the listed single journey fee was 35 between Chennai and Mahabalipuram, 50 between Mahabalipuram and the Puducherry limit, and 85 between Chennai and the Puducherry limit. For an oversized vehicle with seven or more axles, the corresponding single journey fees were 200, 250 and 450.
Local commercial vehicle passes
For local commercial vehicles crossing only one plaza, the monthly pass rates were the same across all three route schedules:
- Load autos, taxis, maxi cabs and three wheelers, Rs. 200.
- Light commercial vehicles, JCBs and cranes, Rs. 250.
- Trucks and multi axle vehicles, Rs. 800.
- School buses, Rs. 1,600.
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Common questions
Did these East Coast Road toll rates apply after 31 March 2018?
The notification prescribes the revised rates only for the period from 15 July 2017 to 31 March 2018. It does not state what rates applied after that period.
What was the single journey toll for a car from Chennai to the Puducherry limit?
For a car, jeep, van, light motor vehicle or motorised three wheeler travelling between Chennai (Akkarai) and the Puducherry limit, the listed single journey fee was 85.
Was there a monthly pass for a local commercial vehicle crossing one toll plaza?
Yes. Monthly passes for crossing only one plaza ranged from Rs. 200 for load autos, taxis, maxi cabs and three wheelers to Rs. 1,600 for school buses.
Does the notification affect land ownership or property registration along East Coast Road?
The notification only prescribes motor vehicle toll rates for specified East Coast Road sections. It contains no provisions on land ownership, property registration or development rights.
