The policy circular covers upcoming and ongoing national highway projects, setting common requirements for tolling infrastructure. Under the framework, vehicles will be able to pass through tolling points without stopping at conventional booths, enabling collection through a free-flow system.
The NHAI said the guidelines establish uniform standards for plaza layouts and lane configurations. They also cover the design and placement of gantries, road infrastructure, lighting, signage and supporting facilities associated with tolling locations.
The barrier-less arrangement is expected to remove queues at toll plazas and reduce waiting times for motorists. It is also intended to lower fuel consumption caused by vehicles stopping or moving slowly near toll collection points, while contributing to safer and more seamless journeys.
The standards are aimed at providing a consistent infrastructure framework as MLFF tolling is adopted on more national highway stretches. By applying common design requirements to projects that are being developed or are already under way, the guidelines seek to ensure that tolling facilities can support vehicle movement without barriers or booth-related stoppages.
The release of the circular marks an effort by the highway authority to align toll plaza planning with free-flow collection. It gives project agencies and other stakeholders a defined basis for planning lane arrangements, gantries and related facilities on wider national highways. The NHAI’s stated focus is to improve the movement of traffic through tolling points while creating consistent standards across projects.