Major Update On Toll Fee As Centre Amends Toll Rules
Central government on Monday released a notification in regard to a particular amendment in the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. According to the amendment, if someone is driving a vehicle (other than one with a National Permit) on a national highway, bridge, bypass, or tunnel, you won’t have to pay any toll fees for the first 20 kilometers of your journey in either direction on the same day. After that, if you travel more than 20 kilometers, you’ll only be charged for the extra distance you cover, and this is tracked through a GPS-based toll system.
“A driver, owner or person in-charge of a mechanical vehicle other than National Permit vehicle who makes use of the same section of national highway, permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel, as the case may be, shall be levied a zero-user fee upto twenty kilometers of journey in each direction in a day under Global Navigation Satellite System based user fee collection system and if the distance travelled is more than twenty kilometers, then fee will be charged for actual distance travelled,” said the notification.
The rules will comes into effect on the date of their publication in the official Gazette. The new initiative announced by Minister of road transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is based on satellite-toll collection system in India, utilizing GPS and GNSS.
All vehicles fitted with the GNSS on Board Units will be required to move in dedicated lane to claim benefits under the pay as you go scheme.
Any vehicles without valid GNSS entering the dedicated lane will attract double the normal toll fee, notification says.
Read also: Gadkari’s Old Toll Rate Promises Go Viral Amid GNSS Toll Rollout
This new system charges equipped vehicles based on the distance traveled, enhancing the commuter experience on Indian highways.
Unlike FASTag, it operates on the Global Navigation Satellite System, offering precise tracking. This innovation aims to modernize toll collection, potentially increasing revenue to Rs 1.40 trillion in the next few years.
