Hyderabad: Despite two years of mounting traffic and rising toll collections on Outer Ring Road (ORR), the state govt has refused to permit toll hikes, citing concerns over poor maintenance and safety standards. The standoff has deepened tensions between the state and ORR operator, IRB Golconda Expressway Private Ltd, with both sides trading blame over accidents, sanitation and upkeep of the expressway.Govt sources said the ORR concessionaire has been seeking annual toll revisions in line with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), a practice commonly followed on National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) roads. Under the mechanism, toll rates can be increased by about 3% to 5% every year from April 1.However, the Telangana govt has not approved any toll revision for the past two years. IRB Golconda submitted proposals seeking hikes in 2025 and 2026, but both requests were rejected, sources said. The company is understood to be unhappy with the decision, arguing that such revisions are permitted under the applicable framework and are routinely allowed on national highways.Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday reviewed issues relating to the ORR and roads maintained by the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Ltd. During the meeting, he reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the ORR and directed officials to focus on improving its upkeep.Sources said the chief minister also reviewed traffic volumes on the expressway. When IRB Golconda took over ORR maintenance and toll collection under the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model in Aug 2023, daily traffic stood at around 1.9 lakh vehicles. That figure has now risen to 2.5 lakh vehicles a day.The company is said to be earning around Rs 700 crore to Rs 720 crore annually through toll collections. However, IRB Golconda is understood to be concerned about future revenue prospects because of its debt burden and the emergence of competing road corridors around Hyderabad.According to sources, the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR), Surat-Chennai corridor and Nagpur-Vijayawada corridor could divert a significant share of commercial traffic away from the ORR once completed. “Our major source of revenue comes from heavy vehicles and lorries, which is 45% of the revenue,” sources in IRB Golconda said.Another major flashpoint between the govt and the operator is road safety. Officials contend that IRB has not taken adequate measures to reduce accidents on the ORR. The company, on the other hand, blames inadequate enforcement by agencies such as police and the Road Transport Authority (RTA).According to IRB, it has no authority to penalise vehicles parked illegally on the expressway and its service roads. The company maintains that a large number of accidents are linked to illegal parking and overspeeding.Sanitation has emerged as another area of dispute. IRB alleges that garbage is frequently dumped on service roads by residents of nearby colonies and, in some cases, municipal workers, leading to foul smell and a growing stray dog menace. The company also faces complaints regarding road maintenance, lighting and overall upkeep.While HMDA, which owns the ORR, is responsible for maintaining greenery along the corridor, residents have continued to raise concerns over other civic issues. To address rising accidents, the state govt has constituted a multi-departmental committee involving the police, RTA and other agencies to recommend and implement safety measures on the ORR.
