New annual toll pass for residents near NH plazas at Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 notified

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a new annual toll pass for people who live close to national highway toll plazas. It will cost Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 a year, depending on where the plaza is located. The ministry notified the change on Monday, 26 October, through an amendment to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, news agency UNI reported. UNI said the new rates take effect on 1 November.

This concessional pass is separate from the nationwide FASTag annual pass. That pass costs Rs 3,075 for 2026–27 and covers a year or 200 crossings across the national highway network. The new pass is meant for regular local users of a single plaza, such as people who live near it and cross it every day.

Price and eligibility

Reports based on the notification set out these terms.

• Rs 1,500 a year for a toll plaza outside municipal limits.
• Rs 3,000 a year for a toll plaza inside municipal limits.
• The vehicle owner must live within 20 km of the plaza.
• The vehicle must be registered for personal, non-commercial use and carry a valid, working FASTag.
• The pass is valid only at the plaza it is bought for and cannot be transferred.
• Rates will be revised every year on 1 April.

According to Indian Opinion and NewsBytes, the pass will not be issued on highways or expressways with a closed tolling system, where users pay by distance between entry and exit. It also will not be issued where a service road or alternative route is available to local residents.

What it replaces

Until now, residents near a plaza could buy a monthly local pass, which cost Rs 360 a month or Rs 4,320 a year, according to Indian Opinion. The cheaper annual option could save a regular commuter up to Rs 2,820 a year. In July, NHAI began letting residents buy local passes through its Rajmargyatra app. Addresses and FASTag details are checked through DigiLocker and VAHAN, so applicants no longer have to visit the plaza with documents, PTI reported via ThePrint. That digital process started at the Mundka–Bakkarwala plaza on Delhi’s Urban Extension Road-II, with other plazas to follow.

Open questions

Reports differ on when the pass can actually be bought. UNI gives 1 November as the start date, while Indian Opinion said it can be purchased from the notification date. The government has not yet given details of the purchase process for the annual version, whether it will be sold through the Rajmargyatra app, or which plazas fall inside municipal limits. Commuters should check NHAI’s official channels or their FASTag issuer before 1 November.

For long-distance drivers, nothing has changed. The FASTag annual pass stays at Rs 3,075, after NHAI raised it by Rs 75 from Rs 3,000 for the 2026–27 financial year, News On AIR reported in March. It is valid for one year or 200 crossings, whichever comes first, at more than 1,000 plazas on national highways and expressways.

Sources

• UNI: Govt sets annual toll pass rates for local residents
• Indian Opinion: Annual NH toll pass at Rs 1,500, Rs 3,000 for residents
• NewsBytes: Government introduces cheaper annual toll passes at Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000
• News On AIR: NHAI revises FASTag annual pass fee to Rs 3,075 for FY 2026-27
• ThePrint (PTI): Residents living within 20 km of toll plazas can now buy local passes through Rajmargyatra app