Overview

• The committee flagged legal amendments from 2008 and 2023 that enable perpetual tolling and called for an AERA-style authority to cap charges after cost recovery.
• It urged a fully automated FASTag-integrated refund or waiver system to compensate motorists when highway services are incomplete, unsafe, or congested.
• All existing concession and publicly funded contracts were recommended for review to ensure toll rates drop once capital and maintenance expenses are met.
• Proposals for real-time toll-plaza dashboards and tech-enabled enforcement using GPS mapping, geofencing, CCTV, and drones aim to address unauthorized collections and operational lapses.
• MoRTH has commissioned a NITI Aayog study to overhaul user-fee frameworks, but no formal regulatory changes have been implemented as pilots and court orders reveal ongoing service gaps.