Travelling between Uttar Pradesh’s two biggest cities will now cost more regardless of the route chosen. In a move that will directly impact thousands of daily commuters, transporters and commercial vehicle operators, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has revised toll rates on both the newly inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway (NE-6) and the existing Lucknow-Kanpur Highway (NH-27).
Event Context
The hike comes within days of the opening of the 63-km Greenfield Expressway, leaving commuters with no low-cost alternative to travel between Lucknow and Kanpur.
On the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, motorists travelling the entire stretch will now have to shell out more than before. The toll for cars, jeeps and vans has been increased from ₹275 to ₹285 for a single journey, while the same-day return fare has gone up from ₹415 to ₹425. The monthly pass for 50 single trips has also been revised from ₹9,220 to ₹9,450.
The hike is steeper for commercial vehicles. The toll for light commercial vehicles and minibuses has been increased from ₹445 to ₹460. Buses and two-axle trucks, which earlier paid ₹935, will now pay ₹960. The charge for three-axle commercial vehicles has been raised from ₹1,020 to ₹1,045, while heavy vehicles with four to six axles will now pay ₹1,505, up from ₹1,470.
Oversized vehicles with seven or more axles will have to pay ₹1,830, compared to the earlier ₹1,795. Toll rates for shorter stretches of the expressway have also been revised upward across all vehicle categories.
The existing Lucknow-Kanpur Highway (NH-27) has not been spared either. At the Nawabganj Toll Plaza, the toll for cars, jeeps and vans has been increased from ₹95 to ₹100 for a one-way journey, while the same-day return charge has gone up from ₹145 to ₹150. The monthly pass for 50 single journeys has been revised from around ₹3,180 to ₹3,350.
For light commercial vehicles and minibuses, the toll has increased from ₹155 to ₹160, while buses and two-axle trucks will now pay ₹340, up from ₹325. The charge for three-axle commercial vehicles has been revised from ₹360 to ₹370. Heavy commercial vehicles with four to six axles will now pay ₹535, compared to ₹520 earlier, while oversized vehicles have also witnessed a corresponding increase.
The revision comes at a time when commuters were still comparing the costs and benefits of the new expressway. With rates now revised on both corridors, the cost difference has narrowed further, although the expressway remains substantially more expensive than NH-27.
The toll hike is likely to have a wider economic impact beyond individual motorists too.
Match Outlook
The increase, though modest for private vehicles, is expected to significantly raise transportation costs for buses, trucks and commercial vehicles that ply multiple times a day between the two cities.
