Goa Government cuts Entry Toll for Vehicles from Maharashtra and Karnataka Districts

The Goa Government on 17 July 2013 has decided to issue concession passes to incoming vehicles for the neighbouring districts, of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

But the vehicles coming from other States other than Maharashtra and Karnataka will have to pay the full entry toll fee.

The government has come up with a provision of issuing monthly and yearly passes to vehicles registered in the neighbouring districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The State Public Works Department is in the process of preparing the proposal after the State Government asked it to do so. The tariff with concession in the entry toll fee would be notified in the last week of July 2013.

Vehicles which are carrying cargo from Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, (in Maharashtra) and Karwar and Belgaum (Karnataka) would be permitted for the concession depending on how regularly they visit the State. The imposition of entry toll fee had met with stringent opposition from transporters in the neighbouring States.

The fee was levied in April 2013 by the State Government, which claimed that the money collected would be used to upgrade the road infrastructure in Goa.

The revenue earned by the State Government would be utilised to make better roads, adding mainly the stretch between Anmodh Ghat (near the Karnataka border) to Ponda, a town in Goa, would be expanded for better traffic movement, at a cost of 15 crore Rupees.

The State  is planning to take up a 139-km road upgradation under the Prime Minister’s Sadak Yojna.