Now Reading: Telangana blocks ORR toll hike for second year over safety
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Telangana blocks ORR toll hike for second year over safety
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy this week expressed dissatisfaction with the Outer Ring Road's upkeep and directed officials to improve maintenance, widening a standoff with operator IRB Golconda Expressway Private Ltd.…
The Story in Brief
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy this week expressed dissatisfaction with the Outer Ring Road's upkeep and directed officials to improve maintenance, widening a standoff with operator IRB Golconda Expressway Private Ltd. The state has refused all toll hike requests for two years, even as daily traffic on the 158-km expressway rose from 1.9 lakh vehicles in August 2023 to 2.5 lakh now.
IRB Golconda, which earns an estimated Rs 700 crore to Rs 720 crore annually from tolls, had sought annual revisions of 3-5% linked to the Wholesale Price Index. Heavy vehicles contribute 45% of revenue. The company faces a growing debt burden and fears future competition from the proposed Regional Ring Road and other national corridors. Road safety remains the sharpest point of conflict: the state says IRB has not done enough to curb accidents, while IRB says it lacks authority to penalise illegal parking and blames weak enforcement by police and the Road Transport Authority. Sanitation disputes also persist. The state has set up a multi-department committee to recommend safety measures.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides have picked easy targets. The state calls IRB neglectful but refuses any toll revision despite rising traffic and contractual WPI clauses. IRB cries foul over lost revenue yet has not demonstrated visible safety improvements, spending on enforcement it lacks authority for. The real test is the new committee's outcome: if accident numbers drop within six months, the operator's maintenance record will face scrutiny. If they do not, the government's safety rationale for blocking hikes will ring hollow. A single question cuts through the blame: will the state allow even a partial hike if IRB fixes lighting, sanitation and illegal parking? That answer will show who is serious.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, siasat.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
