New Delhi, July 5, 2025 — In a significant move aimed at easing the financial burden on commuters—particularly commercial vehicle operators—the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has slashed toll charges by up to 50% on structured portions of National Highways, such as bridges, tunnels, flyovers, and elevated corridors.
What’s New in Toll Calculation?
Previously, users had to pay up to 10 times the regular toll rate for highway stretches with heavy structural infrastructure. Under the revised guidelines issued on Tuesday, a new formula has been introduced to calculate user fees more equitably.
Under the updated system:
Minimum tollable length = lesser of
10 times the structure length + remaining road length
5 times the total section length
Example:
For a highway section of 40 km with 30 km of structures and 10 km of net road,
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Old calculation: 10×30 + 10 = 310 km
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New rule applies the lesser of 310 km and 5×40 = 200 km
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Toll will now be charged for 200 km, not 310 km.
This change is particularly beneficial on stretches where structures exceed half of the total section length.
Big Win for Commercial Vehicle Operators
Officials noted that commercial vehicles, which pay 4–5 times more in tolls compared to private vehicles, will gain the most from this reform.
For instance:
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On the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, where 18 km on the Delhi side and 15 km on the Dehradun side are elevated structures, tolls will drop by nearly 50%.
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Similar relief is expected on key corridors like:
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Nashik Phata–Khed
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Danapur–Bihta
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Dwarka Expressway, where 21 km of the 28.5 km stretch is elevated
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Implementation Timeline
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Public-funded toll plazas: Rule applicable from the next scheduled revision date.
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New toll plazas: Effective from the date of operation.
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Concessionaire-operated plazas: To be implemented after current agreements expire.
Annual Pass Option for Private Vehicles
Private car owners can also mitigate toll expenses via an annual pass costing ₹3,000, a scheme still in place under the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008.
Bottom Line
The new toll calculation rule represents a balanced approach to infrastructure cost recovery while addressing long-standing grievances of overcharging on structured highway stretches. With the revised methodology in place, both freight operators and daily commuters stand to gain significantly from reduced toll expenses across India’s expanding highway network.
