The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has implemented a significant change to toll regulations, benefiting private vehicle owners. Under the new National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, vehicles equipped with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) will now benefit from a revised toll policy.
Free Travel for Short Distances
According to the amendment, private vehicle owners will not be charged for travelling up to 20 kilometres on highways or expressways per day if their vehicles are equipped with GNSS. For distances exceeding this limit, toll fees will be calculated based on the actual distance travelled.
A government notification clarified that drivers, owners, or persons in charge of non-National Permit vehicles using the same section of the national highway, bridge, bypass, or tunnel will be exempt from toll charges for the first 20 kilometres in both directions.
GNSS-Based Toll Collection Pilot
The road ministry had earlier launched a GNSS-based toll collection system as a pilot project alongside the existing FASTag system. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the pilot’s implementation on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana.
International Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement
In addition to the pilot project, a stakeholder consultation was held through an international workshop on June 25, 2024. The ministry also invited an International Expression of Interest (EOI) for implementing the GNSS-based system, with the submission deadline on July 22, 2024.
This initiative aims to modernise India’s toll collection system, making it more efficient and convenient for private vehicle owners.
