Yamuna Expressway toll rates to rise up to 12% from Oct 1

The Suraksha Group, which took over the debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech Limited, currently manages the toll operations on the expressway.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) announced on September 26 that it has approved a hike of up to 12 percent in toll rates for the 165-kilometer road link between Greater Noida and Agra. The new rates will take effect on October 1, reported Hindustan Times.

Under the revised toll structure, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and registered tractors will pay Rs 1.50 per kilometre, up from the previous rate of Rs 1.25. Cars, jeeps, and light motor vehicles will see their tolls rise to Rs 2.95/km, compared to the earlier rate of Rs 2.60/km. Buses and trucks will have to pay Rs 4.60/km, up from Rs 4.15/km, while heavy vehicles will have to shell out Rs 14.25/km, an increase from Rs 12.90/km. For oversize vehicles, the new toll will be Rs 18.35/km, up from Rs 16.60/km.

Since the Yamuna Expressway's construction in 2012, the Uttar Pradesh government approved the annual toll hikes until 2015, when it directed Yeida to manage future raises. The recent decision was made at Yeida's board meeting, aimed at allowing the toll operator to collect approximately Rs 1 crore a day.

The Suraksha Group, which took over the debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech Limited, manages the toll operations on the expressway. Yeida CEO Arun Vir Singh explained to HT that the toll operator had requested a hike for three years but was denied to protect public interests. However, the hike was necessary to fulfill commitments to the Suraksha Group, which has plans to develop stalled Jaypee apartments contingent on the annual toll hike.

Yeida noted that the toll operator had recently reported substantial losses in managing expressway operations, prompting the need for a raise. “If we spread the hike of 12 percent over three years, then it is only a 4 percent hike annually since 2021,” Singh said. The authority board has directed the operator to submit traffic forecasts and current vehicle pressure reports to determine expected toll collections on the expressway.