Bengaluru airport, STRR, and Mysuru highway toll hiked by up to 5% from April 1

For light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and mini buses, the one-way toll will rise from Rs 175 to Rs 185, and the two-way fare will increase from Rs 265 to Rs 275. Trucks and full-sized buses will now pay Rs 370 for a single journey (Rs 15 increase) and Rs 550 for a return journey (Rs 15 increase). Monthly passes for cars (50 trips per month) are now priced at Rs 3,970, while the local pass remains at Rs 350.

The Sadahalli toll plaza collected a whopping Rs 308 crore in 2023-24, clocking a 10-year high. It collected Rs 1,577 crore in the last 10 years, making it the toll plaza colleciting the highest amount in Karnataka. The previous highest collection at the plaza was recorded in the year 2018-19, with Rs 187 crore.

The reason for high user fee collection at the toll plaza is due to its location on NH 44, the primary route connecting Bengaluru to KIA, the third busiest airport in India. Passenger traffic to and from the airport is immense, with millions of travelers relying on this highway annually. The plaza benefits directly from this heavy vehicular movement, particularly from taxis, private vehicles and buses.

Motorists using STRR, which connects Dabaspet to Hoskote, will also face increased toll rates at the Nallur-Devanahalli and Hulikunte toll plazas. For cars and LCVs, the hike is Rs 5 for a single journey and Rs 10 for a round trip. Bus fares will see an increase of Rs 10 for a single journey and Rs 20 for a return.

At Nallur-Devanahalli, a monthly pass for cars is now priced at Rs 2,815, while at Hulikunte, it stands at Rs 3,615. The local pass for both locations remains unchanged at Rs 350. STRR, built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, links Bengaluru with the Chennai Expressway at Hoskote.

Bengaluru-Mysuru toll hike

Toll rates on the 119-km Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway will also be revised from April 1, with an increase ranging between Rs 5 to Rs 10 depending on the vehicle type.

NHAI officials stated that the notification for revising toll fees on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway would be issued shortly. ”Currently, tolls are collected at two plazas, but there is a proposal to introduce multiple toll booths at entry and exit points, allowing motorists to pay based on the distance traveled,” a NHAI official reportedly said.

With 70,000 vehicles using the main carriageway daily, the toll revision is set to impact both private and commercial vehicles.

NHAI officials stated that the 3-5 per cent hike is part of an annual revision affecting national highways across India.

“This is a routine process. The revised fares have been approved for Ballari Road, STRR, and Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, with more hikes expected on Tumkur Road and the Bengaluru-Kolar Highway soon,” said KB Jayakumar, project director at NHAI.