Hundreds of truck operators on Monday came out in protest in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, against the recent increase in toll charges at entry points for vehicles registered outside the state. They warned that if the government does not roll back the decision, they will block the national highway.
The Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu approved the Toll Tax Barrier Policy 2026–27 in a Cabinet meeting held on February 13. Under the new policy, light motor vehicles (LMVs), including cars, jeeps and vans, will have to pay Rs 170 instead of Rs 70 from April 1.
The hike is expected to affect both tourists and transporters. Himachal has 55 toll barriers across the state. Entry fees will now be collected at these barriers, and FASTag has been made mandatory.
Truck operators held a huge protest at the toll barrier in Bagheri town of Nalagarh tehsil, near Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. They raised slogans and strongly opposed the government’s decision to increase the entry fee.
The protesters said commercial vehicles have also been hit by a sharp increase. The toll for oversized vehicles with seven or more axles has been raised from Rs 720 to Rs 900 per day.
Truck operators Raj Kumar and Avtar Singh said the hike has badly affected their earnings. They said rising toll rates have increased transportation costs and made it harder for them to manage both business as well as personal travel.
Truck operator Balveer Singh and several others warned that if the government does not withdraw the hike immediately, they will block the national highway and hold a sit-in protest. They said this could disrupt traffic in the entire region.
Local residents also expressed concern. They said the decision has added to the burden on the common man. The truck operators claimed that the tourism and transport sectors were being affected. They accused the government of troubling the public in the name of increasing revenue. They urged the Sukhu government to reconsider the decision and warned that their agitation would intensify if the hike is not rolled back.
Earlier, on February 19, the Himachal Pradesh Private Bus Operators' Association and the Himachal unit of the Bus and Car Operators' Confederation of India had also opposed the proposed toll hike. They jointly demanded that the increase be withdrawn immediately.
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