Zipping Down Agra-Lucknow Expressway To Cost From Today
Zipping down the swanky six-lane Agra-Lucknow Expressway will come at a price from January 19 mid-night as vehicles using the route will have to pay toll tax.
The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government has fixed toll rates for vehicles using the 302-kilometre-long expressway, which boasts a 3.3-km airstrip that defence aircraft can use as a runway during emergency.
The toll would vary from vehicle to vehicle and would be applicable on vehicles travelling from both sides, a state government spokesperson said.
"The rates have been fixed at Rs 570 for car, jeep, van or light motor vehicles; Rs 905 for light commercial vehicle or mini bus; Rs 1,815 for bus and truck; Rs 2,785 for heavy construction work machine and multi-axle vehicle (3 to 6) and Rs 3,575 for over-sized vehicle (7 and above axles)," he said.
The toll would be the same from both the sides, but it would be proportional to the distance travelled by the commuters, the official said.
Justifying more tax for the Agra-Lucknow Expressway as compared to the Lucknow-Kanpur-Agra National Highway, an official of the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) explained that total distance covered by the national highway was 364 km and toll was Rs 390. Whereas, the Agra-Lucknow Expressway was just 302-km long, and travelling by that road cost less because of less consumption of fuel and it saved time, too, he said.
The government notification has spared dignitaries from paying toll tax.
The decision to levy toll tax was taken in a high-level meeting in Lucknow last week.
The Indian Air Force has already tested the airstrip twice by landing and taking off its fighter jets, including Mirage, Sukhoi 30, MIG and C-130J Super Hercules four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.
For the security of travellers, the UPEIDA has decided to set-up nine police stations along the expressway, built in record 22 months. It will also station 'Dial 100' police interceptors and ambulances on the route to provide safe and secure routes to travellers.
As a goodwill gesture, the UPEIDA will offer a cup of tea to drivers of trucks and buses travelling at night. The purpose was to keep them awake during the journey, the official added.
With inputs from Housing News