What Exactly Is the New Toll Rule?
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008. The change, which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is now implementing, introduces a new formula for calculating tolls on highway sections that
include long bridges, tunnels, flyovers, or elevated corridors. Previously, the high cost of building and maintaining these complex structures meant they were often given a heavy weighting in toll calculations. The new rule aims to put a cap on this, making the system more balanced for commuters.
The 'Lower of Two' Formula Explained
The core of the new rule is simple: authorities must now use two different methods to calculate the chargeable distance and then apply whichever one results in a lower fee for the driver. The first method is the traditional one: it adds the actual length of the road to a weighted length for structures (often 10 times the actual length of a bridge or tunnel). The second method introduces a new cap: it calculates a chargeable distance based on five times the total length of the entire highway section, including both the road and the structures. The toll you pay will be based on the lower of these two resulting figures.
A Real-World Example
Let's break it down with an example provided in the official notification. Imagine a 40-km highway stretch that consists of 10 km of regular road and 30 km of bridges and tunnels. Under the old system, the chargeable distance could be a massive 310 km (10 km of road + 30 km of structures x 10). With the new rule, the second calculation method provides an alternative: 40 km (total length) x 5 = 200 km. Since 200 km is lower than 310 km, your toll will now be based on this much shorter distance, leading to a significant saving.
Who Benefits Most from This Change?
This revision offers the biggest relief to motorists who travel on highways with a high density of major structures. This includes daily commuters and commercial vehicle operators on routes like the Delhi-Meerut Expressway or those featuring long tunnels and elevated sections. By placing a hard cap on how much the presence of a bridge or tunnel can inflate a toll fee, the government aims to reduce the financial burden on frequent users and the logistics sector, which sees tolls as a major operational cost. However, structures measuring 60 metres or less are not treated separately under this rule.
When Does This Rule Take Effect?
The NHAI has already directed its field offices to begin processing toll revisions based on the amended rules, which were updated on July 1, 2026. For publicly funded toll plazas, the new calculation will be applied from their next scheduled fee revision. For highways operated by private concessionaires, the formula will be adopted after the concession period ends and the highway is transferred back to the NHAI. Any newly commissioned toll plazas will use this fairer calculation method from the very beginning of their operations.
