MASSIVE TOLL CUT: India slashes highway tolls 50% on flyovers and tunnels | New rules explained

The Indian government gave a big relief to vehicle owners as it has reduced the toll rates for stretches such as flyovers and tunnels up to 50 per cent. According to a revised notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the new toll prices will apply to sections of National Highways featuring major structures, such as tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and elevated corridors. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. The ministry introduced a revised formula for calculating toll charges. The notification for changes came on July 2.

As per the new rules, the toll rates will now be determined based on the lesser of the two values:

1. 10 times he length of the structure(s) added to the rest of the highway section. This excludes the structure.

2. Five times the total length of the section, including the structure(s).

The notification even clarified that "'structure' means an independent bridge, tunnel, flyover or elevated highway."

The ministry explained this with an example as well to make people undertstand tit better. The example said that a 40-kilometre highway section comprises entirely of structural elements. Under the old system, a toll would be charged for 400 kilometres (10 x 40 km). Under the new formula, the toll would instead be calculated on 200 kilometres (5 x 40 km), effectively halving the cost for commuters.

At present, vehicle owners are charged at a rate ten times higher than normal for every kilometre of travel. This is due to the elevated construction and maintenance costs.

A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed the revision, stating, “This move is designed to rationalise toll collection and provide relief to road users while maintaining a balance between infrastructure cost recovery and affordability.”