KATHMANDU: The government has resumed collecting road tolls on major highways. Road Board Nepal restarted toll collection on the Bhairahawa–Bhumahi road section in Rupandehi from Monday.
Toll collection had been in place before the COVID-19 pandemic but was halted during the outbreak. Now, the board has reinstated tolls on the 28-kilometer Bhairahawa–Bhumahi stretch.
Ganesh Bahadur KC, Executive Director of the board, said the collection is being done under the “Collection of Road Tolls (Procedures) Regulations, 2081,” in accordance with Sections 6 and 4 of the Road Board Act, 2058 BS.
He said the initiative began from Bhairahawa due to its short length and the presence of a customs point. Toll collection will also be started on three other sections in the coming days.
The board previously collected tolls through private contracts. Now, it is using its own staff and digital systems. Payments can be made using QR codes in partnership with NIC Asia Bank.
KC said the board will monitor road damage caused by overloaded vehicles leaving Bhairahawa customs. Funds collected from tolls will be used to repair these road sections. At least two-thirds of the collected amount will go toward maintenance in the same area.
Toll collection will also begin soon on the Birgunj–Pathlaiya, Dharan–Biratnagar, and Narayangadh–Mugling sections. In addition, RFID-based tolling will be introduced on the Nagdhunga section.
The Road Board Nepal has set toll rates for the Bhairahawa–Bhumahi section based on vehicle category. Buses, minibuses, trucks, mini-trucks, and heavy machinery must pay Rs 30.
Cars, SUVs, pickup vans, and tractors are charged Rs 20. A toll of Rs 10 has been set for three-wheelers and motorcycles, though this is not yet being collected.
