The government is set to roll out a revolutionary toll policy that could change the way Indians pay for highway travel. Under this proposed policy, private vehicle owners may soon get an annual pass for just ₹3,000, enabling unlimited travel on national highways, expressways, and even state expressways—with no need to stop at toll plazas.
What’s Changing?- Flat Toll System: Instead of paying tolls at each plaza, vehicles will be charged ₹50 per 100 km on average.
- Annual Pass for ₹3,000: This one-time payment will allow unlimited use of highways for a year, with no additional toll charges.
- No Extra Pass Required: Payment will be linked directly to your FASTag account, eliminating the hassle of managing separate passes.
- Goodbye Toll Gates: The new policy also aims to phase out toll booths, replacing them with automated, GPS-based toll collection.
- Private car owners, especially those who frequently commute across cities or states.
- Local residents, who previously had to get monthly passes for specific toll plazas.
- Daily commuters on highways and expressways.
One of the major roadblocks to this policy was opposition from toll concessionaires and contractors, who feared a revenue loss. To address this, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has devised a compensation formula. Contractors will digitally track vehicle usage, and the difference between their estimated and actual income will be reimbursed by the government.
Why Not Lifetime Passes?A lifetime pass (₹30,000 for 15 years) was initially considered, but it was scrapped due to:
- Resistance from contractors and banks
- Varying rules across states
- Low expected consumer interest
Sources suggest that the policy is almost finalized and could be announced any time. Once implemented, this could drastically reduce travel costs and ease congestion at toll gates.
