No Toll Fees for GNSS-Equipped Vehicles up to 20km on Highways

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced that private vehicle owners with functioning Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) will not be charged toll fees for traveling up to 20 km daily on highways and expressways. New amendments to toll regulations will charge fees based on actual distances traveled over 20 km.

Owners of private vehicles with a functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) will enjoy toll-free travel for up to 20 km daily on highways and expressways, as per a new government notification.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Tuesday disclosed amendments to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.

The new regulations, named the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, stipulate that toll fees will be based on the exact distance traveled if it surpasses 20 kilometers.

"A driver, owner, or person in charge of a mechanical vehicle, other than a National Permit vehicle, using the same stretch of national highway, bridge, bypass, or tunnel, will not incur user fees for up to 20 kilometers in each direction daily under the GNSS-based fee collection system," the notification stated.

The road ministry had previously indicated in July that the GNSS-based toll collection system would be piloted on select national highways, complementing the existing FASTag system.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has confirmed a pilot study on the GNSS-based toll system on NH-275's Bengaluru-Mysore stretch and NH-709's Panipat-Hisar section in Karnataka and Haryana, respectively.

Gadkari added that an international workshop for stakeholder consultations was held on June 25, 2024, and a global Expression of Interest (EOI) for broader industrial engagement was launched on June 7, 2024, with submission deadlines on July 22, 2024.

(With inputs from agencies.)