No Toll If You Come Back Within 12 Hours? A Fact-Check

A viral message falsely claims that no toll fee will be charged if you return within 12 hours.

A viral message attributed to Nitin Gadkari falsely claims that a toll ticket allows you to come back for free in 12 hours.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

A message doing the rounds on social media claims that if you go from one place to another and come back within 12 hours, you will not be charged anything at the toll booths.

The message is going viral on Whatsapp and is attributed to Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.

The message is viral on Whatsapp.(Photo: Whatsapp)

Several social media users have shared similar messages on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

TRUE OR FALSE?

The claims made in the viral message are false.

Firstly, in a letter issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding revised rates of user fee on toll booths, categories such as single journey, return journey within a day and monthly pass were listed. These categories (though with different rates) are what are in use across the country. There was no mention of any 12-hour slip.

The fee charges are categorised under single journey, return journey and monthly pass.(Photo: Screenshot from NHAI letter)

There is no mention of any 12-hour slip.(Photo: Screenshot from NHAI letter)

When The Quint contacted the NHAI department, an official, under the condition of anonymity, said the viral message was fake, adding that there was no provision for a 12-hour slip.

“There is no such thing as a 12-hour slip. When you go from one place to another and come back in 24 hours, you get a concession of around 66 percent on the return journey. But there is no such thing that you wouldn’t be charged at all.”

NHAI official 

Secondly, a revision of such magnitude would have been reported by the press and other media outlets. Further, Gadkari, who generally takes to Twitter to announce the latest updates from his department, has not tweeted about this development.

The claim had reportedly gone viral in 2017 as well and Hindi news website Dainik Bhaskar had busted it then. It was also debunked by SM Hoax Slayer in May 2018.

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