Have Toll Rates Been Cut by Up to 50% for Highways with Bridges, Flyovers, and Tunnels?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Toll rates reduced by up to 50% on key highway sections.
- New formula benefits motorists by lowering costs.
- FASTag annual pass available for non-commercial vehicles.
- Pass priced at Rs 3,000, valid for one year or 200 trips.
- Government initiative aims at making travel more affordable.
New Delhi, July 5 (NationPress) — In a significant boon for drivers, the government has decreased toll fees by up to 50% on specific stretches of National Highways featuring structures such as tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and elevated roads.
This initiative is designed to lower travel expenses and enhance road journey affordability for the public.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has revised the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, introducing a new toll calculation formula.
Under the updated regulation, toll fees will now be calculated in a manner that significantly lessens costs on highway segments primarily comprising such high-priced infrastructure.
According to the new guidelines, if a segment of the National Highway features structures like flyovers or tunnels, the toll will be determined using the lower of two metrics: either ten times the length of the structures or five times the total length of the highway segment.
For example, if a 40-kilometre section of a highway consists entirely of structures like bridges or flyovers, the toll will be calculated based on the lesser of the two values — either 10 times the structure length (400 km) or 5 times the total length (200 km).
In this instance, the toll will be charged based on 200 km, effectively halving the fee.
Previously, motorists were required to pay ten times the standard toll rate for every kilometre of such infrastructures, as these facilities are costly to construct and maintain.
In a further effort to streamline highway travel, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently introduced a new FASTag-based annual pass for private vehicles.
Available from August 15 this year at a price of Rs 3,000, this pass is tailored for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans, and will be valid for one year from activation or up to 200 trips — whichever occurs first.