Overview
- The road transport ministry has asked NITI Aayog to reassess national highway tolling principles that date to 1995 and underpin base rates set under 2008 rules.
- The study focuses on vehicle operating costs, the vehicle damage factor and users’ willingness to pay to design more realistic user-fee models.
- NITI Aayog has engaged academic institutions to evaluate the methodology and prepare proposals for the ministry by the end of the financial year.
- While tolls are revised annually using WPI under the 2008 framework, the core base-rate formula has not been updated in nearly 30 years.
- India runs about 855 toll plazas and collected ₹73,000 crore in 2024–25, with this year’s receipts projected near ₹80,000 crore and first-half collections up 18.6%.