Toll on national highways with bridges, tunnels cut by up to 50%
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, introducing a revised formula for calculating toll charges. The changes were officially notified on July 2, 2025.
According to the new rules, the toll rate on such structured highway stretches will now be determined based on a lesser of two values:
Ten times the length of the structure(s) added to the rest of the highway section (excluding the structures), or
Five times the total length of the section, including the structure(s).
"'Structure' means an independent bridge, tunnel, flyover or elevated highway," the notification clarified.
To illustrate, the ministry cited an example where a 40-kilometer highway section comprises entirely of structural elements. Under the old system, toll would be charged for 400 kilometers (10 x 40 km). Under the new formula, the toll would instead be calculated on 200 kilometers (5 x 40 km), effectively halving the cost for commuters.
Currently, motorists are charged at a rate ten times higher than normal for every kilometre of structure, due to the elevated construction and maintenance costs associated with these complex infrastructures.
A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed the revision, stating, 'This move is designed to rationalize toll collection and provide relief to road users while maintaining a balance between infrastructure cost recovery and affordability.'
The reform is expected to lower the overall travelling cost on key highway stretches that feature significant structural elements and encourage greater usage of the national highway network.
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