By Chanlang bareh
‘Toll collections,’ are not taxes literally but a charge/rate which we pay to the toll plaza for using the roads which are constructed or maintained vide public-private partnership. It is generally collected on multi-lane highways commonly used by buses/trucks and long distance travels. Road tax on the other hands is a tax paid by the owner of a motor vehicle to the state government via the District Transport Office at the regional level. In Meghalaya, a Road tax is a charge after determining the cost of a new vehicle, adding a lifetime road tax on the showroom price. The road tax is then used to improve the roads and infrastructure facility in the state. The current road tax in Meghalaya falls under the purview of the state’s Motor Vehicles Act of 1998 (2011) Taxation Act.
The question is why should the people of Meghalaya pay a high toll for passing through a NH-40(Umling) from Jorabat to Umiam when they had already paid to the government for maintaining the roads at the time of their vehicle registration? Let’s look at the various factors which the Government and the private entity are involved in, in the legal extraction of money from the ordinary citizen. Firstly, the private company is free to charge citizens for using the roads until they have quenched their thirst. There is some free entry facility for two-wheelers, local rickshaw under ‘ML10’ registration and Govt of India vehicles which are usually exempted. That is, as far as my observation goes. By Govt. of India vehicles, I mean public transportation. This again varies according to the different types of MoU signed between NHAI, PWD & other statutory bodies together with private companies. Secondly, I hope the Regional Transport Office has also solved the problems of a free entry for vehicle (commercial) owned by the locals but not registered in Ri-Bhoi, District Transport Office. Now we all know that maintenance is one of the areas where our Govt excels at failing. However, Government is happy to do away with this one and let it fall under the private entity whose aim is to make a profit which is not what a welfare state is for. The toll plaza in Umling, National Highway 40 from Jorabat to Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district, despite its short tenure already shows sign of low maintenance in the area of cleanliness. The toll booth is covered with red ‘betel nut,’ spit all the way down from the window of the toll booth. A boom barrier, also known as a boom gate, a bar or pole pivoted to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point is no longer automated, and one has to raised it up physically to allow access for the vehicle. Thirdly, the highways are mainly used for the transportation of goods and commodities.
Meghalaya roads are the backbone of our economy. The Introduction of the toll plaza on National Highways in the state will further increase the transportation cost to and from the state, which will adversely affect the economy and development of Meghalaya. Prices of commodities will rise with the increase in toll rates.
Our problem is not with paying the toll, but the high cost is what pinches. These private-public partnerships rip-off the general public. Why does the government not perform its duties in subsidising the toll collection, especially since the state falls under the 6th Schedule where the state and local governments can take specific decisions in lawmaking. The Sixth Schedule gives tribal communities considerable autonomy; power to make laws, possibility on the various legislative subjects, for better economic development and most importantly ethnic security.
Adding to the plight is that in Umsning the highway road is not yet adjoined. For whatever reasons, we are still paying a high toll on a highway which is not even completed. Let us not mention the other safety amenities and services which the concerned authority set out in place for responses to crisis and natural occurrence. I doubt whether there is an awareness about road safety and regulations conducted in the NH 40 from Jorabat to Umiam in Meghalaya. What if there is a ‘hit and run’ case taking place at midnight or early morning when no one is around? How can you trace the culprit accountable for the accident who escapes without a trace? What answer will the Department in charge give the bereaved family? According to guidelines set forth by the Motor Vehicle Regulation Act,1988, there should be a provision that ensures proper electronic surveillance on national and state highways and urban roads.
As a regular commuter via National Highway 40 (Umling) from Jorabat to Umiam, I believe paying 65 rupees for a single journey is way too expensive. Even for a small piece of work in Nongpoh, one has to pay the same amount for using a few kilometres of the road. This is only a means to extract money from ordinary people. The recent hike in toll at the plaza also leads to the rise in tourist taxi fare (Tata Sumo & Swift Dezire) which is now in the range of Rs 250-350 from Guwahati to Shillong. This has drastically affected the pockets of regular commuters. When the toll first started, I saw a few locals working inside the toll booth, but after a brief period the scenario changed. This makes me wonder that if the locals can’t get jobs then where are the provisions for creating jobs for them? Don’t they even know to operate the toll gate computers/machines?