Toll charges to be lower on partially open national expressways from Feb 15

Toll rates to be lower on partially open national expressways from February 15 as new highway fee rules come into effect.

• Toll on incomplete expressways to be charged at lower rates
• Premium toll applies only after full corridor is operational
• Lower tolls effective from February 15 for up to one year

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Travelling on national expressways that are not yet fully operational will become cheaper from February 15, with the government announcing lower toll charges for partially open expressway corridors.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, ending the practice of charging expressway-level tolls on routes that are not open end-to-end.

What’s changing for commuters

So far, motorists using national expressways were required to pay around 25% higher tolls compared to regular national highways, even when only certain sections of an expressway were open. This higher charge was levied due to the access-controlled design and promise of faster travel, regardless of whether the entire corridor was functional.

Under the revised rules, toll will now be charged only at standard national highway rates for the completed and operational stretch of an expressway. The premium expressway toll will apply only after the full corridor becomes operational.

In effect, drivers will no longer pay higher fees for routes that are still under construction.

Toll to apply only on operational stretches

The amended notification specifies that toll fees will be collected only for stretches that are fully built and open to traffic. Sections under construction will not attract toll charges, providing immediate relief to users of partially operational expressways.

This revised toll structure will apply across all national expressways that are not yet open end-to-end.

Relief is temporary

The government has clarified that the lower toll rates are not permanent. The benefit will remain in force for up to one year from February 15, 2026, or until the expressway becomes fully operational, whichever is earlier.

Once construction is completed across the entire corridor, regular expressway toll rates will come back into effect. The changes have been notified under the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Amendment) Rules, 2026.

Aimed at easing congestion and improving traffic flow

According to the ministry, the move is intended to encourage greater use of newly opened expressway stretches, which often see lower traffic due to higher toll charges. Officials expect the change to help divert vehicles from parallel national highways, leading to:

• Reduced congestion on older routes.
• Faster movement of goods and passengers.
• Lower fuel consumption and emissions caused by traffic bottlenecks.

India has been expanding its expressway network rapidly, with many projects opening in phases. The latest amendment seeks to ensure that commuters are not charged premium tolls until the promised end-to-end connectivity is in place, offering fairer pricing as infrastructure development continues.

With the new rule set to take effect from February 15, motorists can expect lower toll costs and smoother travel on partially operational expressways.