Under the revised facility announced by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), eligible residents in rural areas will pay Rs. 1,500 for an annual pass, while residents within municipal jurisdictions will pay Rs. 3,000. The rural pass is priced at nearly one-third of the existing annual pass, and eligible users can instead choose a monthly pass costing Rs. 360.
The facility is available to owners of private, non-commercial vehicles with valid and active FASTags who reside within 20 km of the relevant toll plaza. Each pass will be valid only at the respective plaza and cannot be used at other toll points. Applicants will also have to meet the applicable eligibility conditions.
The scheme is expected to benefit residents in Himachal Pradesh, where six toll plazas are operational. These are Ghatta on the Shimla-Mataur corridor, Sanwara on the Parwanoo-Shimla corridor, and Maura, Baloh, Takoli and Dohlunala on the Kiratpur-Manali corridor. The routes include National Highway 503 and other NHAI-operated stretches.
Separately, NHAI’s nationwide annual FASTag pass for private, non-commercial vehicles will remain available at Rs. 3,075. It allows vehicle owners to make up to 200 trips through eligible NHAI-operated toll plazas on National Highways within one year, bringing the effective cost to about Rs. 15 per trip. NHAI said more than 10 mn vehicle users have already used the nationwide facility. The local passes are restricted to one toll plaza, while the nationwide pass provides access across eligible plazas.