NHAI repeals 100m exemption rule for new toll plazas amid regulatory issues

In May 2021, the highway authority had introduced these provisions for projects where project reports were in progress and land for toll plazas was yet to be acquired

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), three years after implementing a free-flow policy in the case of excess waiting time, has withdrawn the provision from its toll plaza management guidelines.

In May 2021, the NHAI, amid much public fanfare, introduced a rule stating that service time should be less than 10 seconds per vehicle at peak flow and that the queue of vehicles in any lane should be no more than 100 metres from the toll booth.
 

“If at any time the queue of vehicles in any lane becomes more than 100 metres from the toll booth, the boom barrier of that lane shall be lifted and the free flow of traffic with no tolling shall be allowed until the queue comes within 100 metres,” the 2021 rules said.
 

In a circular dated August 19, the authority said that the provision regarding service time at toll plazas stands deleted with immediate effect, “as there is no such provision for exemption/free flow applicable relating to the distance of queuing vehicles at the plaza as part of the transaction as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection), Rules, 2008”.
 

“As it is, the rule was not meant for all toll plazas, but only those with new design specifications after 2021. There has been confusion among the public regarding the applicability of such rules, and fee rules do not have provisions for exemptions; hence, the provision has been done away with,” an NHAI official told this paper.
 

In May 2021, the highway authority introduced these provisions for projects where project reports were in progress and land for toll plazas had yet to be acquired.
 

The official said that the toll plazas designed since then and falling under the purview of the rule represent a small proportion of all toll booths. Exact data on such booths was not available at the time of publishing.
 

However, on August 1, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that no provision exists under the current fee rules for the exemption of vehicles from user fees in case of breaching a stipulated time or distance.