Overview

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the 2008 National Highways Fee Rules on July 2 and officially notified a simplified toll-calculation formula this week.
• Tolls on sections with independent structures—bridges, tunnels, flyovers or elevated roads—will now be based on the lesser of ten times the structure length plus the remaining stretch or five times the total section length.
• Existing public-funded toll plazas will apply the revised rates at their next scheduled fee revision, while new and concessionaire-operated plazas will adopt them upon commencement of operations or concession expiry.
• Commercial vehicles, which were charged four to five times higher user fees on structure-heavy sections, stand to gain the most relief under the streamlined formula.
• A Rs 3,000 FASTag annual pass for private non-commercial vehicles will launch on August 15, covering up to 200 crossings or one year of travel across national highways.