What is the New Toll Pass System?

The Indian government is planning to introduce annual and lifetime toll passes to make travel easier for private vehicle owners. These passes will allow unrestricted travel on national highways, eliminating the need to pay at each toll booth. According to sources, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is likely to introduce two types of passes:

  • Annual Toll Pass: Costs ₹3000 per year.
  • Lifetime Toll Pass: Costs ₹30,000 for 15 years.

The new system will work with FASTag, so you won’t need any extra paperwork or devices. Right now, private car owners can buy a monthly pass for ₹340, but it only works at one toll plaza. With the new yearly pass, you can travel on all national highways without any limits, making it easier and cheaper to travel.

Why is the government introducing this?

The government wants to ease traffic at toll booths, especially in busy areas and places where toll booths are less than 60 km apart. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari mentioned this plan to make road travel more convenient.

According to data from 2023-24, private cars contributed ₹8,000 crore out of ₹55,000 crore in total toll revenue. Even though private cars make up 53% of all toll transactions, they only bring in 21% of the total toll income. Also, around 60% of toll traffic during the day (from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) is made up of private cars.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may experience a short-term dip in revenue, but officials think that in the long run, it will have a positive effect. The new toll passes are expected to make travel easier and help improve the road network, making it more efficient.

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