Court Orders Reduction of Toll Fees in Jammu and Kashmir

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh mandates the reduction of toll fees across the Union Territory, aiming to alleviate financial burdens on commuters. Fees at Lakhanpur and Bann toll plazas are reduced to 20% of previous rates. The government must comply within four months, promoting fair toll practices.

In a significant move to ease travel costs for commuters in Jammu and Kashmir, including pilgrims heading to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, the High Court has instructed the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to reduce toll fees dramatically across the Union Territory within four months.

The court ruled that toll claims at the Lakhanpur and Bann plazas will be cut to 20% of the fees charged before January 26 last year, maintaining this until the national highway from Lakhanpur to Udhampur is fully operational.

The court's directive stems from a PIL challenging excessive tolls on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway, amid concerns that such practices unjustly profit both the NHAI and private contractors at the public's expense.