Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has raked in a whopping Rs. 100 billion in toll revenue over the past two years alone. According to documents exclusively obtained by WealthPK, the NHA collected Rs. 96.88 billion in the past two years. Toll revenue for fiscal year 2024–25 stands at Rs. 64.79 billion—an increase of 102 percent compared to Rs. 32.098 billion in 2023–24.

Despite this exponential growth, the authority fell short of its revenue target for the 2025 financial year. As per the documents, the NHA had aimed to collect Rs. 102.956 billion from tolls alone during the year. The documents reveal that the NHA generates revenue through multiple streams, with toll collection from motorways and highways across the country remaining a primary source of income.

For 2025, the authority also set a goal to boost revenue by Rs. 24,882 million annually through the rationalization of toll rates. It also plans to establish 55 new toll plazas, expected to generate an estimated Rs. 4,330 million annually. The authority’s toll revenue has more than doubled from Rs. 32,394 million in 2018–19 to Rs. 64.79 billion in 2024–25.

Over the past five years, the NHA has raised funds from various sources, including Rs. 178,894 million from tolls, Rs. 37,291 million from police fines, and Rs. 6,197 million from weigh station income. Additionally, it collected Rs. 23,734 million from fees for issuing different NOCs and from rental charges. It also earned Rs. 61,589 million from bank profits and auctions during the same period.

The NHA operates three types of toll systems: manual toll plazas, the Electronic Toll and Traffic Management (ETTM) system, and the M-Tag system. At manual toll plazas, traffic counts are conducted at the procurement stage during the final quarter of the fiscal year. Moreover, traffic fluctuations during the contract period are borne by the toll operator, as per contractual terms. The National Transport and Research Centre (NTRC)—a specialized agency that conducts traffic count surveys—provides traffic data to the NHA.

ETTM toll plazas operate as a hybrid toll collection model. Under this system, a fixed guaranteed portion is determined at the time of contracting, and real-time traffic is monitored throughout. The third system is the M-Tag, used exclusively on the country’s motorways. It is an electronic toll collection system through which charges are automatically deducted from a prepaid account, allowing vehicles to pass through toll plazas without stopping.

According to the document, penalties for vehicles operating on motorways without M-Tags and new toll taxes nationwide are already in effect. These measures aim to enhance security, streamline the toll collection process, promote the use of electronic tags for more efficient and faster travel, and boost revenue generation across Pakistan’s motorway network.

Credit: INP-WealthPk

Credit: INP-WealthPk