“Because of ongoing work on the Pirwadhai Interchange, the volume of traffic using the IJ Principal Road Toll Plaza has reduced,” says CDA spokesperson.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday received Rs32.1 million as the highest bid for the contract for toll collection at one of its toll plazas.
Thirteen bidders took part in the auction for the IJ Principal Road Toll Plaza, with Al-Rehman Enterprises submitting the highest bid.
The CDA controls three toll plazas in Islamabad — Rawat Toll Plaza on Islamabad Highway, the IJ Principal Road Toll Plaza near the Railway Carriage Factory in Sector I-11, and the Kashmir Highway Toll Plaza near Sector G-13.
The Kashmir Highway Toll Plaza’s contract was auctioned in October 2012, and the auction for the Rawat Toll Plaza contract will take place on Tuesday.
The contract period for both toll plazas was one year from the date of possession, according to the CDA’s auction notice, but the contract period for the IJ Principal Toll Plaza has been reduced to six months, CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said.
“Because of ongoing work on the Pirwadhai Interchange, the volume of traffic using the IJ Principal Road Toll Plaza has reduced,” Sajid said. “A one-year contract would have caused losses to the authority.”
The auction was conducted in the director’s office at the CDA Revenue Directorate in Sector G-7/3. The bidders had deposited earnest money of Rs5 million with the CDA before the auction.
In December, there was a suggestion from Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Tahir Shahbaz to abolish toll taxes for Islamabad residents who pass through the toll plazas. The idea was to only charge toll tax from non-residents, but a senior official in the revenue directorate said the proposal never materialised.
The revenue official told The Express Tribune that the directorate had, instead, requested a 100 per cent increase in the current toll tax.
“The CDA is running in deficit and the toll tax can help us with road maintenance expenditure,” the official said.
The idea was shot down again, this time by the Cabinet Division. The official claimed the increase was denied on the pretext that it would not benefit the government in the upcoming general elections.
The current advertised toll rates are the same as before. Non-commercial vehicles pay Rs5 per entry, whereas commercial vehicles including taxis, vans and tractors pay Rs10. Flying coaches, mini buses and tractor trolleys are taxed at Rs20, while trailers with more than 3-axles pay the highest toll — Rs100 per entry. The CDA also has annual passes worth Rs400 for “local cars and light vehicles.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.
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