If you live close to a national highway toll plaza and cross it every other day, your toll bill is about to get a lot smaller. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will introduce a discounted annual FASTag pass for local residents from 1 November 2026.
Who Can Get the Pass?
The pass is meant for residents living within 20 km of a National Highway toll plaza. The ministry announced it in a notification issued on Tuesday, 27 October.
How Much Will It Cost?
The price depends on where the toll plaza is located:
| Toll plaza location | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Outside municipal or local town limits | Rs 1,500 per year |
| Within municipal limits | Rs 3,000 per year |
So a family living near a highway toll plaza on the edge of a town pays half as much as one living near a plaza inside a city’s limits.
The Catch: One Pass, One Toll Plaza
There is one important restriction. The pass works only at the toll plaza it was issued for. You can’t transfer it, and you can’t use it to get discounted passage at any other plaza. If your daily route crosses two toll plazas, the pass will cover only one of them.
How Does This Compare With Earlier Local Passes?
Local monthly passes already exist. A 2025 report put the monthly fee for residents within 20 km at around Rs 340. Going by that figure, twelve months would come to roughly Rs 4,080, so a Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 annual pass looks like a real saving. Please treat this as a rough comparison, since monthly rates can differ by plaza and may have changed.
This is also separate from the general FASTag annual pass for private vehicles that the government launched in August 2025, which was priced at Rs 3,000 for up to 200 trips or one year. The new pass is a locals-only scheme, tied to one plaza.
What We Still Don’t Know
The notification details reported so far don’t spell out the application process or the documents residents will need, such as proof of address. Earlier FASTag annual passes were sold through the Rajmargyatra app and the NHAI website, so the new pass may follow the same route. Check the official MoRTH and NHAI channels once the scheme goes live on 1 November.
What Residents Should Do Now
- Find out which toll plaza is nearest to your home and whether it falls inside or outside municipal limits. This decides your fee.
- Keep proof of residence ready in case it is required.
- Make sure your vehicle’s FASTag is active.
- Watch for application details from NHAI and MoRTH around 1 November.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the concessional toll pass start?
1 November 2026.
Who is eligible?
Residents living within 20 km of a National Highway toll plaza.
How much does it cost?
Rs 1,500 per year for plazas outside municipal or local town limits, and Rs 3,000 per year for plazas within municipal limits.
Can I use the pass at any toll plaza?
No. It is valid only at the toll plaza for which it was issued and can’t be transferred.
How do I apply?
The reported notification doesn’t specify this yet. Check the official MoRTH or NHAI channels around the launch date.
