Nitin Gadkari said for people to avail good services, they have to pay for it
Union road minister Nitin Gadkari ruled out any exemption from toll collection at national highways and said that if people want good services they will have to pay for that.
Mr Gadkari agreed to the opinion that toll collection should stop but asserted that he cannot promise waiver from the tax on national highways at this juncture.
Toll collection is common across the world as good roads help motorists save both fuel and time, the minister argued during an interview session with noted Marathi poet Ramdas Phutane during an event on Monday.
Asked about toll tax being collected on national highways, the minister said, "Good roads save on fuel and time and give life a security. If you want good services, you will have to pay for it."
"Toll collection is common across the world, but I agree that it has to be stopped. But at this juncture, I cannot promise exemption from toll collection," he said.
The road and highways ministry seeks to build 83,677 km of highways over the next five years at a cost of about Rs 7 lakh crore. The National Highways Authority of India has set up a special cell to attract domestic and global investments to finance the mega road building programme.