NHAI Offers Major Toll Relief to Local Residents; Annual Pass for Rs. 1,500 in Rural Areas and Rs. 3,000 in Municipal Limits.
Eligible residents living within 20 km of toll plazas can choose between monthly and annual passes; facility available across Himachal Pradesh and the country.
Shimla:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced significant relief for residents living within a 20-kilometre radius of toll plazas across the country, including Himachal Pradesh. Under the revised facility, eligible local residents in rural areas will be able to obtain an annual FASTag pass for just Rs. 1,500, while those living within the limits of municipal areas will be eligible for an annual pass costing Rs. 3,000.
The initiative is aimed at reducing the financial burden on people who regularly use national highways and have to cross toll plazas located close to their residential areas. The reduced annual pass facility will provide considerable relief, particularly to residents of rural areas, who will now be able to access the facility at approximately one-third of the earlier applicable annual pass cost.
According to NHAI, residents living within a 20-kilometre radius of a toll plaza can choose between a monthly pass costing Rs. 360 and an annual pass, depending on their location. Residents of rural areas can obtain the annual pass for Rs. 1,500, while those residing within municipal limits will have to pay Rs. 3,000.
The facility is applicable to eligible non-commercial vehicles equipped with valid and active FASTag accounts. However, the local resident pass will remain valid only at the respective toll plaza for which it has been issued.
Six Toll Plazas in Himachal Pradesh Covered
The facility will be available to eligible local residents at all operational toll plazas across Himachal Pradesh. The state has six toll plazas located on important national highway corridors.
These include Ghatta Toll Plaza on the NH-503 Shimla-Matour corridor and Sanwara Toll Plaza on the Parwanoo-Shimla corridor. Four other toll plazas — Maura, Baloh, Takoli and Dohlunala — are situated on the Kiratpur-Manali corridor.
Residents living within the prescribed 20-kilometre radius of these operational toll plazas will be eligible to avail themselves of the facility, subject to the applicable conditions.
Annual FASTag Pass for Rs. 3,075 Also Available
Apart from the local residents’ pass, NHAI’s annual FASTag pass scheme for private non-commercial vehicles will also continue to remain available.
Priced at Rs. 3,075, the annual FASTag pass allows eligible private vehicle owners to cross toll plazas on national highways operated by NHAI up to 200 times within one year. This effectively brings the toll expenditure to approximately Rs. 15 per crossing.
According to NHAI, more than one crore vehicle users across the country are already availing themselves of the annual FASTag pass facility.
The annual FASTag pass is applicable only to eligible private non-commercial vehicles and provides a convenient option for people who frequently travel on national highways.
With these initiatives, NHAI aims to make highway travel more affordable and convenient while extending financial relief to regular commuters, particularly those living in the vicinity of toll plazas.
