The government swung into action after a portion of the 4.7-km-long Vikramshila Setu collapsed late on Sunday night. The bridge serves as a vital lifeline for millions commuting daily between Bhagalpur and Naugachia.
"These amendments are aimed at improving user fee compliance, enhancing efficiency of Electronic Toll Collection and discouraging user fee evasion on National Highways," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on Tuesday.
Emphasising the public safety implications and the strategic significance of the National Highway network, the NHAI has called for an expeditious and coordinated approach to improve mobile network connectivity on the National Highway corridors across the country.
The 374-km project, estimated to cost Rs 19,142 crore, will be developed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll basis.
At least 10 people were killed and over seven others injured when a passenger bus overturned in the Attock district of Pakistan's Punjab province on Monday, police officials said.
Earlier on Tuesday Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia urged West Bengal, Delhi and Punjab among eight states to reduce VAT on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) for facilitating air connectivity to Tier-II, Tier-III cities.
Other major initiatives taken by the Ministry was the announcement of the voluntary Vehicle Scrappage Policy that would phase out unfit vehicles from the country.
In 2016, Gadkari had announced the usage of plastic waste in road construction in the year 2016. Since then, plastic waste has been used in constructing roads in 11 states.
At present, all fee plazas on National Highways are fully equipped with FASTag system.
Therefore, as per NH Fee Rules 2008, any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional FASTagentering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza shall pay a fee equivalent to two times the fee applicable to that category.
