Toll rules for overloaded-vehicles notified: How it affects you
What's the story
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced new rules for charging toll fees from overloaded vehicles on national highways. The revised guidelines, effective from tomorrow, are aimed at promoting compliance with load limits and ensuring road safety. Under the new rules, vehicles carrying up to 10% excess load will not be penalized. However, those carrying more than that but within a limit of up to 40% will have to pay double the base toll fee.
Increased charges
Vehicles overloaded by over 40% will be charged 4x toll
Vehicles carrying over 40% of the prescribed weight will be charged four times the base rate, as per MoRTH's notification. The department has also clarified that overloading shall be determined using certified weight measurement devices installed at fee plazas. If weighment facilities are not available at such plazas, no overload fee will be levied and only the base applicable toll will be charged.
Collection method
Overload charges to be collected through FASTag
The overload charges shall be collected through FASTag and other notified electronic payment systems. The responsibility of paying this fee lies with the driver, owner, or person in charge of the vehicle using the national highway. Details of overloaded vehicles along with excess load data shall be recorded and reported to the VAHAN database for monitoring and enforcement purposes.
Compliance measures
Exemption for certain private investment projects
Vehicles entering the national highways without a valid or functional FASTag will continue to be subject to applicable provisions under existing rules. However, the revised provisions will not apply to certain private investment projects awarded before the commencement of these rules, unless the concessionaire agrees to adopt them without seeking compensation.