Uttarakhand to impose green cess soon for out-of-state vehicles

Vehicles not registered in Uttarakhand might soon have to pay a green cess to enter the state, a government official said on Saturday, adding that this is expected to come into effect by the end of December.

The amount that out-of-state vehicles will have to pay will range from ₹20 to ₹80 and will apply to commercial and private vehicles alike, he said.

Two-wheelers, electric and CNG vehicles, those registered in Uttarakhand and those engaged in essential services like ambulances and fire brigades will be exempted, news agency PTI quoted the official.

The amount will be deducted from the FASTags of the vehicles.

How will Green cess be deducted

The tendering process for implementing the cess levying system has been initiated, Joint Commissioner (Transport) Sanat Kumar Singh said.

“Our target is to operationalise the system by the end of December,” he said.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras will identify vehicles registered outside Uttarakhand and the amount will be deducted directly from the FASTag wallet of the vehicle owners, the official said.

Three-wheelers will be charged ₹20, four-wheelers ₹40, medium vehicles ₹60 and heavy vehicles ₹80, the Joint Commissioner said.

The cess will be charged based on single-day entries but vehicle owners will also be given the choice of paying higher rates for extended validity passes such as 20 times the daily rate for a quarterly pass and 60 times for an annual pass, the official said.

The hill state of Uttarakhand sees a massive influx of vehicles from other states throughout the year of people visiting tourists areas and pilgrimage sites. On some months, known as the peak seasons, the number of out-of-state vehicles entering the state is particularly high.