The Islamabad High Court has upheld the interim relief given to citizens in the case of additional toll tax related to M-Tag and has upheld the order not to collect 50 percent additional toll tax until the next hearing. The court also made the written response submitted by the National Highway Authority (NHA) part of the record during the hearing.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer took the position that more time was needed to examine the NHA’s response in detail. The court, while accepting this plea, adjourned the hearing and clarified that the 50 percent additional toll tax will not be collected from users who do not have an M-Tag or do not have the required balance in their M-Tag account until the next hearing.
This case has been filed against the National Highway Authority’s policy under which vehicles not registered in the M-Tag system are charged an additional 50 percent toll fee in addition to the normal toll. The NHA maintains that the promotion of the M-Tag system helps in reducing congestion at toll plazas, facilitating the payment process and improving traffic flow on highways.
On the other hand, the petitioner has taken the position in the court that a judicial review of the legal and administrative aspects of the decision to collect additional toll tax is necessary. On this basis, this policy was challenged in the Islamabad High Court, where the trial is ongoing.
According to legal experts, the final decision in this case may have significant implications for the toll collection system on motorways, the use of M-Tags and the implementation of the digital transport policy in the future. For now, under the court’s interim order, the collection of the additional 50 percent toll tax will remain suspended, while the arguments of the parties and the NHA’s position will be further examined in the upcoming hearing.