The central government has decided to introduce cheaper annual passes for vehicle owners living near toll plazas. From November 1, eligible people will get the pass for Rs 1500 or Rs 3000. With this you can save up to Rs 2820 annually.

Ambala: The rules of toll pass are going to change for the local people who travel daily on national highways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made arrangements to provide annual concessional passes to eligible vehicle owners living within 20 kilometers of the toll plaza. The new rules will come into effect from 1 November 2026. With this, people who get a pass of Rs 360 every month will get the option to travel throughout the year at a lower cost.

There will be no need to pay Rs 360 every month

Till now, local vehicle owners had to take a monthly pass from the respective toll plaza for regular movement. Its current price is Rs 360. According to this, a total of Rs 4320 is spent on making a pass for 12 consecutive months.

Under the new system, eligible vehicle owners will be able to choose to continue with the monthly pass or take a discounted annual pass. The annual pass fee will depend on whether the toll plaza is inside or outside the municipal area.

The government has started this facility especially for those local people who have to cross the same toll plaza again and again for job, business, studies or daily work.

Where will I have to pay Rs 1500 and where Rs 3000?

Two rates of annual pass have been fixed in the notification dated October 26, 2026 of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

If the toll plaza is outside the municipal or local town area limits, the eligible vehicle owner will have to pay Rs 1500 for the year. In comparison, the price of annual pass at the toll plaza located within the city limits will be Rs 3000.

In this way, a person who first spends Rs 4320 will save Rs 2820 on the Rs 1500 pass. At the same time, if you buy a pass worth Rs 3000, the annual expenditure will be less by Rs 1320.

This exemption will be for the respective toll plaza only. You will not be allowed to travel with the same pass at other toll plazas.

People living within 20 kilometers will get benefits

For the concessional local pass, the vehicle owner must reside within a distance of 20 kilometers from the respective toll plaza.

Additionally the vehicle must be registered for non-commercial use. It is also mandatory to have a valid and active FASTag on the vehicle.

This means that you will not get a pass merely by staying near the toll plaza. It will also be necessary to fulfill the prescribed conditions to use of vehicle and FASTag.

This system is for eligible vehicles for personal use. Commercial vehicles are not covered under this discounted local pass.

Annual pass will not be available on these routes

The government has excluded some national highways and expressways from the new facility.

Concessional local passes will not be issued on roads where closed user fee collection system is in place. In this system, toll is generally charged based on the distance traveled by the vehicle.

Apart from this, even if a service road or any alternative road is available for the use of the driver, the facility of this pass will not be available.

Therefore, before taking a new pass, it will be necessary to check its availability and eligibility at the concerned toll plaza.

New pass will be available at toll plaza from November 1

The Central Government has implemented this system by amending the National Highway Fee Rules, 2008. It has been named the National Highway Fee (Determination and Collection of Rates) (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026.

According to the Road Transport Ministry, the annual local pass will be available at eligible toll plazas from November 1. At the same time, the facility to avail it through the Highway Yatra app will start from December 1, 2026.

The government will also be able to change the fees fixed on April 1 every year.

NHAI Project Director Akriti Gupta has said that this arrangement will provide relief to local drivers.