From September 1, driving from Chennai to Bengaluru or beyond it, to even the southern and western districts of Tamil Nadu, will be costlier by at least ₹30 to ₹115 for over 25 plazas on the stretches that dot the state. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) raised the toll rates, which works out to stepping up the cost of a trip from Chennai to Bengaluru from ₹430 to ₹460.

Toll Hike Criticized Amid Incomplete Road Repairs And Unfinished Projects

The annual toll hike comes amid increasing demands to remove toll plazas, especially those within city limits. Despite a request from state highways minister E.V. Velu to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), no action has been taken. Transportation activist S. Kamal criticized the toll increase as an “unnecessary burden” on the public, pointing to unfinished road widening projects and damaged highway stretches, particularly around Chennai.

He also noted that with the monsoon approaching, vital repairs, including pothole patchwork, remain incomplete. In areas like Red Hills on the Chennai-Tada-Kolkata highway, unfinished stormwater drain construction has previously caused major traffic jams during the monsoon.

Toll Hike Justified by Unrecovered Costs, Warns of Price Increases

According to data provided by NHAI, toll collections in Tamil Nadu account for at least ₹4,221 crore a year and that from the Thopur plaza itself puts up ₹ 269 crore. Traders have threatened that the price hike might translate to higher selling prices of essential commodities while private bus operators may hike their ticket fares based on the new toll rates.

The operators of the tolls say that even after ten years of being in operation, they are yet to recover 40 percent of costs spent on constructing and maintaining the roads, hence there is a dire need to increase the toll in order to cover the expenses and pay the wages of the employees.