Travelling on the Dhaka-Mawa expressway is likely to be costlier as the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has proposed increasing the rate of per-kilometre toll from Tk 10 to Tk 34.70 after the much-awaited Padma Bridge inauguration on June 25.
Though the rates for vehicles are not finalised, the RHD wants to make the journey on the 55km expressway a bit costly, compared to the regular highways, considering the level of standards and services, said sources.
The RHD proposes the base toll at Tk 4.23, which is Tk 2.0 for other highways, according to the RHD Toll Policy 2014.
However, official sources said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) at a meeting recently showed less interest in the RHD-proposed rate. The meeting, however, discussed two other rates submitted by the RHD toll committee assessing the toll policy.
Of these, one has been proposed 2.5 times higher than the interim toll of Tk 10 fixed last year. Another proposal of Tk 18.44 per km has been assessed following the 2014 toll policy.
Sources said the RHD has proposed increasing the rate to Tk 34.70 by assessing the level of service and inflation rate, which have been set to increase by 1.5 times and 1.4 times, respectively, every year since 2014.
Another proposal of Tk 16.5 per km is also under consideration which is assessed as per contract of Dhaka Bypass being constructed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
However, the RTHD held up the discussion on toll proposals till the joining of the new secretary as the current secretary went on retirement, said a source.
RHD has planned to introduce tolls from its most expensive highway project the day after the inauguration of the country's dream bridge. Though the Tk 110 billion expressway has been opened to traffic since March 11, 2020, it has recently installed a toll plaza at Jatrabari intersection in the city and Pachchaor of Jashore.
The RTHD fixed the toll rates for this expressway for an interim period last year based on which tolls from three bridges on Buriganga, Arial Khan and Dhaleshwari on the Dhaka-Mawa-Pachchaor expressway have been collected.
The RHD now collects Tk 475, Tk 445 and Tk 451 from mini-sized trucks for using the three bridges, which are 847.3 metres, 450 metres and 850.2 metres in length, respectively.
After the introduction of the toll system on the 55 km expressway, the bridge toll collection will be stopped.
Official sources said final toll rates would be fixed after consultation with all stakeholders soon after joining the new secretary.
If the toll rate is not fixed before the Padma Bridge inauguration, the interim rate will be applicable to the expressway, said an official.
smunima@yahoo.com