Government to Announce New Toll Policy with Consumer Concessions: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: The central government is set to introduce a new toll policy for national highways, offering reasonable concessions to commuters, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Addressing concerns over toll charges, Gadkari emphasized that while infrastructure development requires substantial investment, toll collection is necessary to fund road projects.

“It is the policy of the department that when you want good roads, you have to pay for it,” he said.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to road expansion, he stated that an investment of ₹3 lakh crore is planned for Assam, with several major four-lane and six-lane roads, as well as multiple bridges over the Brahmaputra River.

He reassured that toll collection is limited to four-lane highways and does not apply to two-lane paved roads. While the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, prohibit establishing toll plazas within 60 km of each other, he acknowledged exceptions exist.

Gadkari announced that a revised toll policy would soon be introduced to resolve public concerns and ensure fair tolling practices.

The toll collection in India surged to ₹64,809.86 crore in 2023-24, marking a 35% increase from the previous year, and more than doubling since 2019-20 when it stood at ₹27,503 crore.

With the upcoming policy changes, the government aims to streamline toll collection while offering relief to highway users.