Court suspends 50% additional toll fee

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has temporarily barred the National Highway Authority (NHA) from collecting a 50% additional toll from motorists who do not use M-Tags or have insufficient balance in their M-Tag accounts. The court’s order provides immediate relief to thousands of commuters while the legal challenge against the policy remains under consideration.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has temporarily barred the National Highway Authority (NHA) from collecting a 50% additional toll from motorists who do not use M-Tags or have insufficient balance in their M-Tag accounts. The court’s order provides immediate relief to thousands of commuters while the legal challenge against the policy remains under consideration.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued a stay order suspending the implementation of the NHA notification that introduced the extra toll charges. The suspension will remain in effect until the next hearing of the case. The court also issued notices to the NHA and other concerned parties, directing them to submit their responses before further proceedings.

The disputed notification sought to impose a 50% surcharge on drivers who passed through toll plazas without an M-Tag or whose electronic toll accounts did not have enough balance. The measure was introduced to encourage the use of electronic toll collection and improve traffic flow at toll plazas. However, the policy faced criticism from motorists, who argued that it placed an unfair financial burden on road users.

With the latest court order, motorists falling under the affected categories will not be required to pay the additional charges until the matter is decided by the court. However, regular toll fees will continue to apply as per the existing schedule.

The development comes months after the federal government withdrew a planned increase in toll plaza charges. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities to suspend a proposed quarterly hike in toll fees to provide relief to the public amid economic challenges.

Following the prime minister’s instructions, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan ordered the NHA to withdraw the notification issued on April 1. A fresh notification was later released, formally cancelling the planned increase that was scheduled to take effect on April 5.

The latest decision by the Islamabad High Court is expected to offer temporary relief to commuters while the legal proceedings continue. The outcome of the case could determine whether the NHA can enforce the additional toll policy in the future or whether it will need to revise its approach to electronic toll collection.

For now, motorists can continue using national highways and motorways without paying the suspended 50% additional toll, pending the court’s final decision.