Lawyer in Gurgaon Speaks: Understand Toll Plaza Rules

‘Lawyer in Gurgaon speaks’ is a blog series that simplify legal matters in straightforward terms.

The map of the Indian national highways is being transformed under the expert leadership of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari. One can witness the impact of Govt’s policy matters on toll plaza rules which are set by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). With the application of new toll plaza rules through GPS tolling and FASTag application, one can say that soon toll plaza booths may no longer be seen on highways.

This article will help you to understand the new toll plaza rules. So that if you find yourself in any dispute with toll plaza authorities, you can consult a lawyer in Gurgaon for a legal solution.

Understanding Toll Plaza

The NHAI is responsible for the construction of roads and highways in India. The process starts with tender calling and issuing the contract to agencies that construct the highways for NHAI. As highway construction needs a significant investment, thus this expense is counted under the capital expenditure category.

Here, the toll plaza rules come into the picture, allowing NHAI to charge tolls from the users on various highways. By charging users' costs, the authority saves taxpayers money and transfers the burden to users.

Toll Tax Rules in India

These NHAI Toll Plaza Guidelines elaborate rules regarding payment of National Highways fees.
Toll plaza rules are not the same in all states. The same thing is true about vehicle fees. As toll charges are not fixed, it varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Commercial vehicles pay higher toll fees compared to other vehicles.
Residents get relaxation in toll fees. (We will cover it in detail later).
Indian govt officials and Padma Shri awardees were relaxed from payment of fees earlier. But later, this relaxation was waived off. Here is the list of officials who can enjoy a free pass on toll plazas.
To ensure fast service at toll plazas, NHAI rules state 10 seconds of service time. In case of queues, not more than six vehicles should be kept waiting in lines at the toll plaza. If the waiting queue exceeds 100 meters, then NHAI allows vehicles to pass without paying any toll.
As per rules, toll plazas should be 60 km apart, which means you will find only one toll plaza in 60 km.

Toll Rules for Local Residents

NHAI provides concessions to local and frequent users. Residents residing within 20 kilometres of the toll plaza and who use non-commercial vehicles get some concessions. Although, these concessions are not the same across the states. But still, there are some discounts for such residents.

Toll Rule About FASTag

NHAI wants to move to FASTag mode completely. Although 96% of users have opted for FASTag, if any user is left without Fastag, then, although authorities can not restrict their movement, such users will have to pay double the amount for the category under which their vehicle falls.

After going through the rules, if you are paying an extra toll or not getting the benefits of the relaxations, you can contact a civil lawyer in Gurgaon, who will guide you with a proper legal solution.