Toll Charges Slashed Government halves toll on highway structures

New Delhi

In a major relief to motorists, the Central Government has announced a reduction of up to 50% in toll charges on stretches of National Highways that include bridges, tunnels, flyovers, or elevated sections. The new rates, notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, amend the NH Fee Rules, 2008.

According to the revised toll calculation formula, the user fee for any highway section with such structures will now be determined using a lesser multiplier. The notification states: “The toll will be calculated based on either ten times the length of the structure added to the rest of the highway or five times the total section length, whichever is less.”

For example, if a 40 km stretch is entirely composed of structures, the earlier method would compute charges for 400 km (10×40), while the new rule limits it to 200 km (5×40), effectively halving the fee. A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) clarified that the older formula was designed to recover the high construction costs associated with complex structures. However, the revised rule aims to make highway travel more affordable for users, especially on routes with frequent elevated corridors and tunnels.

The updated fee structure will be implemented across all national highways where such structures exist and is expected to bring considerable cost savings for regular commuters. The new rules came into effect following a notification issued on July 2, 2025.