In a move set to ease the financial burden on motorists, the government has announced a reduction of up to 50% in toll rates on national highways featuring structures such as bridges, tunnels, flyovers, or elevated stretches. This decision, effective as of July 4, 2025, comes as an amendment to the NH Fee Rules of 2008, introducing a revised method for calculating toll charges.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has officially notified a new formula to determine the user fee for sections of national highways that include these structures. The core of the amendment lies in calculating the toll by adding ten times the length of the structure to the length of the highway section, excluding the structure, or five times the total length of the highway section, whichever is less. This new approach aims to address the previously higher toll rates levied on such stretches, which were initially implemented to offset the increased construction costs associated with building and maintaining these infrastructures.

To illustrate the impact of the new toll calculation, consider a hypothetical 40-kilometer section of a national highway comprised entirely of a bridge or tunnel. Under the new rule, the minimum length used for toll calculation would be determined by comparing "10 x 40 km = 400 km" with "5 x 40 km = 200 km". The lesser value, 200 kilometers, would then be used to calculate the user fee. In this scenario, the toll would effectively be halved (50%) compared to the previous method.

The earlier toll calculation method required users to pay ten times the regular toll for every kilometer of a structure on national highways. The revised notification from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways brings significant relief, particularly to commercial vehicle owners who frequently use these routes.

An official explained how this change would affect specific routes, citing the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway as an example. The expressway includes an 18-kilometer elevated structure on the Delhi side and a 15-kilometer wildlife elevated corridor on the Dehradun side. With the new rule, commercial vehicles can expect to pay up to 50% less in toll fees for using these structured sections. Similar reductions are expected on other elevated structures like the Nashik Phata-Khed stretch and the Danapur-Bihta route. The 28.5-kilometer Dwarka Expressway, which features 21 kilometers of structures, will also offer substantial savings for commuters.

This adjustment in toll rates is expected to significantly lower travel costs for motorists and is particularly beneficial for those who regularly use national highways with substantial bridge, tunnel, or flyover components. The government's move reflects a commitment to balancing infrastructure development with affordability for road users.