In case of Public Funded/ Annuity/ SPVs Govt. collects the user fee (toll) by engaging the contractors through competitive e-bidding, whereas in private investment/ OMT Projects, the Concessionaire collects the user fee (toll).

In India, the tolling is generally under the open system, whereby fee payable is a fixed amount based on the length of stretch under one project which is normally 60 kilometers. If a stretch is of lesser length, user fee of actual length only is collected.

User fee on a particular fee plaza is based on stretch length under that plaza, structures (bridge, tunnel, bypass) and width of the highways, applicable fee rules and provisions of the concessions agreement.

Vehicles are categorised for the welfare of road users. This categorisation is primarily based on the size and load they carry and damage done to the road and type of use (commercial/personnel) of a vehicle.

As per the fee rules 2008 the spacing between two adjacent toll plazas should be 60 km. The broad reasons for establishing fee plaza within a distance of 60 kms are as under:

• Availability of land
• Availability of sufficient long line of sight for acceleration and deceleration zone.
• Municipal limit/Town area limit from the fee plaza being established.
• Location of bypass from the fee plaza being established.
• Location of major diversions on the National Highways.
• State boundaries and other check posts.
• Existence of a fee plaza on the section of NH and length of new section to be tolled is below 60 kms.
• Optimisation of revenue potential.
• To make the project viable, two fee plazas are established in a project section of NH within 60kms distance.
• The development work of the NH is considered as per requirements.
• Therefore, two adjoining sections constructed at different time in separate contracts having length of less than 60 kms may have the fee plazas within 60 kms.
• Distance between two adjacent toll plazas may be less than 60 km due to unavailability of land, traffic congestion or improper location etc.

Concession to local/frequent users are extended as welfare measures. There may be variation in the concessions available as these have been provided at different times under different fee rules and provisions of concession agreement.

Annual revision is done w.e.f. 1st April and fee is to be rounded off to the nearest Rs 5 as per the new user fee rules. However some roads built before 2008 are governed by old ruleswhere fee is rounded off to Re 1 only.

User fee is levied and collected as per applicable fee rules and provisions of the concession agreement. In some cases, user fee collection is allowed when project is 75% complete. This helps people to use the completed part of the road and traveller pays only for the 75% length opened for traffic.

User fee is levied and collected as per applicable fee rules and provisions of the concession agreement. As per rule, a concessionnaire has right to collect user fee till the completion of concession period allowed under the agreement.

Once a highway is built, Fee is to be collected to recover the cost. Once cost is recovered the fee is collected at reduced rate of 40% as the road is to be maintained in good condition for the travellers.

List of exempted vehicles is different as exemptions have been granted under different rules prevailing at the time of construction of the road.

No

No

As per 03.12.2010 Notification of the Government, the exemption is available only for NHAI or any other Government Organization using such vehicles for inspection, survey, construction or operation of National Highways and maintenance thereof.

The Concessionaire shall formulate, publish and implement an appropriate scheme and make such modifications to the scheme as may reasonably be suggested by the Authority or by Local Users from time to time (Ref. Clause 27.3 of Concession Agreement).

The excess load is to be removed and a penalty equal to 10 times the applicable fee is to be paid. This is applicable to all projects/ all Concession Agreements.

A complaint is to be lodged with respective Project Directors.