No More Toll Hassles: Lifetime Highway Passes for Commuters

Regular commuters have long had to deal with highway tolls, which make every trip expensive. However, that could soon change as the government plans to implement lifetime and annual toll passes, which should make travel easier and more convenient.

The government is intending to implement a one-time "annual toll pass," which is fantastic news for commuters. Ordinary commuters (middle-class or private vehicle owners) have two choices: they can purchase a lifetime pass for 15 years or an annual pass. The price for lifetime pass is set to be INR 30,000 and for annual pass INR 3000.

A Times of India story claims that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is currently working on the plans at an advanced stage. In order to help highway users, the ministry is considering lowering the toll rate per kilometer, according to the article.

To make the process easy and swift, the Ministry of Road and Transport has decided to use the facility of FASTags. The annual or lifetime pass whichever you prefer will be integrated to the already operational FASTags account, offering unlimited access to the NH highways around India. With this facility commuters can avoid the frequent recharge hassle of FASTags.

Presently, the sole pass available at the moment is a monthly one that costs about Rs 340 per month, which can reach Rs 4,080 for annual users. The Road and Transport Ministry intends to introduce a Rs 3,000 yearly pass that will allow unlimited travel throughout the NH network for the duration of the year. Compared to the monthly passes, this alternative is far less expensive. This is optional and can be chosen by the commuter as per their need.

The share of private vehicles in the Rs 55,000 crore total toll revenue in 2023–2024 was only Rs 8,000 crore. Although private vehicles accounted for only 21% of toll transactions, toll transaction and collection data indicate that they accounted for 53% of transactions. Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., individual vehicles account for 60% of traffic at toll plazas, whereas commercial vehicles are distributed evenly throughout the day and night.

With these new passes, the Government is trying to reduce the congestion and provide more smooth and quick operations at the toll plaza. Although the NHAI must forfeit some cash, authorities claim that there won't be any earnings loss over a few years as a result of passes.
Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister of road transport, has expressed similar views, stating that the ministry intends to provide passes for car owners.

According to reports, the ministry wants to provide a one-stop solution for a variety of problems, such as rising frustration with toll plazas inside city borders, toll gates spaced less than 60 kilometers apart, and violence at plazas.