Amendment to National Highways Fee Rules

• 12 Sep 2024

On 10th September, 2024, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, introducing a toll policy that benefits private vehicle owners with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

• The new rules, termed the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, provide toll exemptions for GNSS-equipped vehicles.

Key Points

• Fee Exemption: Vehicles equipped with GNSS will enjoy a zero-user fee for travelling up to 20 km on national highways and expressways each day. Beyond 20 km, toll fees will apply based on the actual distance travelled.
• Policy Details: Under the amendment, private vehicle owners (excluding National Permit vehicles) using the same section of a national highway, bridge, bypass, or tunnel will not incur toll fees for the first 20 km in each direction.
• GNSS Pilot Projects: The ministry, under the leadership of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister previously conducted pilot studies for GNSS-based toll collection systems on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana.
• International Stakeholder Consultation: To advance this initiative, the government held a stakeholder consultation workshop in June 2024, and an international expression of interest (EOI) was issued earlier in the year.