Re: So, how much toll is actually collected on a normal busy highway? The expressway tool is surely profitable, it was even more so earlier when standards were lower. None of these companies finish the road before they collect toll, no service road, no wayside amenities especially at toll booths, no proper dividers with barricades, either natural or artificial to prevent glare from incoming traffic, the "facilities" are endless. This is the norm.
The cost can be recovered in around 4 years tops, this according to NHAI itself. The only reason they don't make a profit is because the PCU numbers are fudged to make the toll collection potential seem amazing. The profit is in the construction. Here are two examples from south Bangalore, BETL last night had ten cars on two lanes entering E-city phase 1, there were around 5 employees hanging around outside the toll booths doing nothing. The fastag lanes were blocked, the toll booths are operating at half capacity but the company has plenty of money to pay people to just stand around. It won't be a surprise if they're not making a profit. NICE is another more egregious example of profiteering at public expense, toll costs 4 times as much, horrible maintenance, no returns and to top it off, a major road in a city is tolled which is against the law. NHAI keeps a lot of election funders in business. |