Toll tax to be cut 50% on these highways: Road ministry approves big change in toll rules for expressways and highways

In a move to reduce travel costs for highway users, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a major revision in toll charges for roads with significant elevated structures. Under the new rules, stretches where structures like flyovers, underpasses, and tunnels account for more than half the total length will see tolls halved. The toll cap for such sections will now be five times the standard rate, down from the existing ten times, a TOI report by Dipak K Dash stated.

Highway commuters may see big savings

Explaining the change, a senior official told TOI that a one-way car trip on the 28.5-km Dwarka Expressway currently costs Rs 317. Of this, Rs 306 is for the elevated section. “With the revised toll norms, this cost is expected to fall to around Rs 153, offering substantial savings for commuters,” the official stated.

Old rules charged 10x for structured sections

According to the current National Highways Fee Rules, the toll for each kilometre of an elevated structure is calculated at ten times the standard highway rate. This higher multiplier accounts for the higher construction cost of such infrastructure. The new policy brings this down to five times the base toll rate for stretches where more than 50% of the road is made up of such structures.

Formal notification expected soon

The ministry is expected to officially notify the decision in the coming days. The revised toll calculation is aimed at commuters using corridors like urban bypasses, ring roads, and intercity connectors, where elevated sections form a large part of the road length. These corridors are more expensive to build and have until now carried higher toll charges.

Commercial vehicles to benefit more

Officials said the revised toll structure may not significantly affect private vehicle owners who opt for the proposed annual toll pass scheme. However, the impact will be more visible for commercial and heavy vehicles that use such stretches regularly.

Toll rationalisation part of larger road policy reform

The new measure is part of a broader effort by the government to streamline toll policies and make road use more affordable and efficient, especially in dense urban and peri-urban areas with high vehicle movement.

How tolls are calculated

As per the 2008 National Highways Fee Rules, tolls for a section of a four-lane or wider national highway are calculated using the formula:
Toll = Length of section (km) × Base rate per km
The base rate from 2007–08 is used as the reference and is revised every year on April 1. The toll multipliers vary based on the type of road and infrastructure.

(With inputs from TOI)