Gorakhpur: The Gorakhpur Link Expressway users can now pay toll tax as the Bhagwanpur toll plaza has started operating. The new toll tax is applicable for all vehicles and can only be paid in cash or through mandatory FASTag. Of significance is the fact that bike, auto and tractor owners will now have to pay toll tax, albeit only through cash. From Tuesday, rate lists for various vehicle categories were placed at the toll plaza in Bhagwanpur. Motorcycles, autos, and tractors will pay Rs 140 for a one way trip and Rs 230 for a return trip; a monthly pass is priced at Rs 2280. Cars, jeeps and vans pay Rs 285 and 455 for single and return journeys respectively. Their monthly pass costs 4560. Light minibuses pay 440 and 705 for single and return journeys respectively; 7050 for monthly pass.The newly built toll plaza by UPDA now has 12 lanes in total. To aid in managing the traffic flow during peak periods or in the event of traffic congestion, three of the lanes are bi-directional. For the past ten days, the system has been in a testing phase, during which employees would issue slips but no tolls were being collected from travelers. It was also noted that during these tests, the interchange toll booths placed at nine locations on the link expressway were interlinked.Executive Engineer UPDA, PP Verma, states that the toll plaza was opened fully on 31st July, midnight. This was after the inauguration of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway which was done by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. CM Adityanath invested over 7000 crore in the construction of the expressway and praised it by calling it a “Game Changer”. He also expressed that this move puts the state of Uttar Pradesh on the map of an “expressway state”, moving from a ‘BIMARU’ (sick) state.
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