Overview

• The Karnataka Public Works Department issued a formal notice on July 8 rejecting NICE’s 7.5% toll hike as unauthorised and in violation of approval processes.
• NICE implemented the increase on its peripheral and link roads from July 1 and maintains it falls within the 10% annual cap allowed under its agreement.
• Article 6.4 of the concession framework obliges toll revisions to receive government sign-off before coming into effect.
• Commuters have complained about the steep rise in charges on one of Bengaluru’s busiest privately operated routes, prompting the PWD’s intervention.
• The dispute builds on a 2016 default notice and a pending legal case and may set precedents for future oversight of private toll operators.