West Bengal government approves proposal to levy toll on state highways

The West Bengal government has approved a proposal to levy toll and user charges on state highways. It plans to levy a toll of Re 0.65 per km on a two-lane highway and Re 1 per km on a four-lane highway. A major challenge resulting from this decision has been the eligibility criteria for levying toll charges, which require roads to have a minimum width of 10 metres. At present, most of the highways in the state are 5-5.5 metres wide and lack adequate land for expansion.