Govt. of India has amended the National Highways Fee Rules for Partially Operational Expressways, with effect from 15 February 2025.
The Government of India has notified amendment to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. As per this latest amendment, when a National Expressway is not opened end to end, the toll fee will be charged for the completed length at a lower rate as applicable for the National Highway.
These amended rules will come into effect from 15th February 2026. These amended rules will be valid for up to one year, either from the date that the amendment comes into force or until the Expressway becomes fully operational, whichever is earlier.
For users of National Expressways that are only partially operational, the Government of India has notified an amendment to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.
Currently, the user fee on National Expressways is charged 25% more than normal National Highways user fee for the completed length as they provide access-controlled and a faster and smoother travel experience. This fee is currently levied for the completed section, even if the Expressway is not fully open along its entire length end to end.
But under the new provision of the new amendment that comes into effect from 15 February 2026, when a National Expressway is not opened end to end, the toll fee will be charged for the completed length at a lower rate as applicable for the National Highway Section under National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.
As per the announcement today, on 12 February 2025, by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, this new amendment is aimed at promoting the use of the National Expressways and to encourage users to travel through the opened stretches of the expressways, which will help decongest the existing National Highway routes that are parallel to the Expressways and enable faster movement of vehicles, and also help reduce pollution due to traffic congestion on old National Highways.
The amended rules, titled the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into effect from 15th February 2026. The rule will be valid for up to one year from the date the amendment comes into force, or until the Expressway becomes fully operational, whichever is earlier.
Currently the toll fee is collected automatically through the vehicle's FASTAg when it passes through a toll plaza, and even a FASTag annual pass is available through the Rajmargyatra app by the NHAI.
As of January 2026, more than 98% of user fee on National Highways is collected through FASTag (Electronic Toll Collection), and the total Number of FASTags issued till December 2025 was 11.86 Crores.
Since its launch on 15th August 2025, around 42 lakh Annual Passes were activated, as on 31st December 2025. Currently around 25% Non-Commercial vehicles are doing FASTag transactions using the FASTag Annual Pass.
Even a Multi Lane Free Flow Tolling that is a barrier-less tolling system is being planned to be implemented, which will enable transactions through reading of FASTag and Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) by High performance RFID Readers and ANPR Cameras, which will enable vehicles to move on the tolled stretches of the national highways or expressways without needing to stop or move through toll plazas.
Choryasi Fee Plaza in Gujarat is to serve as the first barrier-free toll plaza in India. The NHAI is also planning to roll out Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) based tolling at around 25 National Highway fee plazas during the financial year 2025-26
- Government of India Amends National Highways Fee Rules for Partially Operational - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 12 FEB 2026 5:51PM by PIB Delhi.
- Collection and Fastag Adoption - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 29 JAN 2026 4:18PM by PIB Delhi
- NHAI Signs Agreement to Implement India’s First Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) Tolling System in Gujarat - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 30 AUG 2025 12:42PM by PIB Delhi