Fee plazas are established on National Highways as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, which stipulates that any other fee plaza on the same section of National Highway and in the same direction shall not be established within a distance of sixty kilometre provided that where the executing authority deems necessary, it may for reasons to be recorded in writing, establish or allow the concessionaire to establish another fee plaza within a distance of sixty kilometres. Provided further that a fee plaza may be established within a distance of sixty kilometre from another fee plaza if such fee plaza is for collection of fee for a permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel. The distance criteria of sixty kilometres for establishment of a fee plaza has come to existence after National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 and there was no such criteria in earlier National Highways Fee Rules, 1997.
There were two fee plazas within distance of 10.86 km at Hemjadi and Surathkal on NH-66. Surathkal fee plaza has been closed by merging its influence length with Hemjadi fee plaza. No other fee plaza has been closed in the state of Karnataka due to sixty kilometre distance criteria. Fee plazas operational within sixty kilometre are established in accordance with National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 and National Highways Fee Rules, 1997 as applicable.
Government has declared all lanes of fee plazas on National Highways as FASTag Lane of the fee plaza with effect from midnight of 15th/16th February 2021. Presently, most of the collection at the fee plazas on National Highways is through Electronic Fee Collection system. The electronic fee collection penetration is approximately 97 %. The user fee Collection through electronic fee collection at fee plazas is available in public domain through the website of Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL).
This information was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.