Toll overcharging? Make NHAI answer with one RTI

Aman, who lives within 20 km of a toll plaza on the Jaipur-Delhi NH-48, was being charged the full toll rate despite the 20-km local resident discount under the NH Fee Rules 2008 amended 2013. Repeated requests at the booth: refused.

He filed an RTI to the NHAI PIU office. Twenty-two days later the reply: confirmed his eligibility for the local-resident pass; included the application form, list of accepted address proofs, and PIU contact for issuance. He got the monthly pass within a week — saving roughly ₹4,200/month.

NHAI is governed by the National Highways Authority of India Act 1988 and the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008 (amended 2013). Concession agreements with private operators (BOT/HAM) are public.

1. 30-day clock under §7(1).
2. §20(1) personal liability.
3. Concession-agreement disclosure — surfaces over-collection, sub-standard road maintenance, missing free-passes.

• §6(1) RTI Act.
• §7(1) — 30 days.
• NHAI Act 1988 + NH Fee Rules 2008 (amended 2013) — toll rates, local-resident discount, NH-stretch quality conditions for toll continuation.
• Indian Tolls Act 1851 for older stretches.

To,
The Public Information Officer (PIO),
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),
[Regional Office / PIU — Plaza name + NH number]

Subject: §6(1) RTI Act 2005 — toll plaza [Plaza Name] on NH-[XX]

Sir/Madam,

Please provide:

   1. Notified toll rate effective from [date], and the gazette
      notification reference.
   2. Concession agreement between NHAI and the toll-collecting
      concessionaire — name + tenure + concession period.
   3. Annual toll collection from this plaza for FY [2024-25] +
      FY [2023-24].
   4. NH stretch covered by this plaza: from km [X] to km [Y],
      length [Z] km.
   5. Last NHAI inspection report on the NH stretch quality
      (riding quality index / RQI / pothole survey).
   6. Local-resident discount procedure: address proof required,
      application format, validity, monthly pass cost.
   7. Total local-resident passes issued in last 12 months.
   8. Total exemption-eligible vehicles (defence, ambulance, etc.)
      passing the plaza per month.
   9. Any complaints about overcharging at this plaza in last 12
      months and action taken.
   10. FASTag dispute redressal procedure + average resolution time.

I am a citizen of India [residing within 20 km of Plaza /
making toll-related complaint].

Fee: ₹10 IPO/DD enclosed.

Yours faithfully,
[Name + address + signature + date]

1. Note the plaza name + NH number + date of incident (if any).
2. Find NHAI PIU / Regional Office address (nhai.gov.in → “RTI” → “PIO list”).
3. File via rtionline.gov.in → MoRTH → NHAI OR Speed Post.
4. ₹10 fee.
5. Diary 30-day deadline.
6. First Appeal → Regional Officer (FAA); Second Appeal → CIC.

Ask for the gazette notification + concessionaire's authorisation.

Ask for the application form, address proofs accepted, validity, and total passes issued.

Ask for the FASTag dispute resolution log + procedure + IBA contact.

Ask for the latest NHAI inspection report + RQI score; cite NH Fee Rule that mandates fee reduction below a quality threshold.

Ask for the audited annual collection vs the concession agreement projection.

Ask for the NHAI policy on parallel-road exemption.

• NHAI Toll Disputes (CIC 2018) — NHAI directed to disclose concession agreement + collection data; “commercial confidence” §8(1)(d) overruled by §8(2) public interest.
• Subhash Chandra Agarwal v. PMO (CIC 2014) — High-value PPP / concession is publicly disclosable.
• CIC, FASTag Disputes v. NHAI (2022) — NHAI directed to publish dispute-resolution stats + average resolution time.
• Local Resident v. NHAI Plaza (NCT 2021) — Held that local-resident discount is a statutory right, not discretionary.

• Vague plaza name — give exact NH number + km marker if possible.
• Filing with state PWD (NHAI is Central).
• Asking for individual driver / pay records (denied under §8(1)(j)).
• Skipping the concession-agreement ask.

• Note the plaza's exact GPS coordinates + photo of the rate board.
• Cite NH Fee Rules 2008 (amended 2013) + NHAI Act 1988 explicitly.
• For local-resident issues, attach Aadhaar + utility bill showing address within 20 km.
• Use rtionline.gov.in (Central) for fastest tracking.
• Forward reply to consumer activists / local journalists.

Difficult — but you'll have the documentation to take to consumer court / writ. Future overcharges definitely stop.

File RTI for the dispute log + IBA refund procedure. Most plazas refund silently after the RTI.

Concession agreement is between NHAI and the private concessionaire. NHAI (public authority) holds the agreement and is RTI-able. The concessionaire alone is not, but their data flows through NHAI.

If the road is a state highway, the state PWD is the PIO. Same procedure via state RTI portal.

NHAI's measurement of road smoothness. Below a threshold (typically 4.0 m/km), tolling should be reduced or stopped per NH Fee Rules.

Toll plazas collect thousands of crores annually — much of it from citizens who never see the road quality data, the concession agreement, or their local-resident exemption. RTI cracks all three open. ₹10.

File the RTI.

• Road work RTI
• §8(1)(d) — commercial confidence
• First Appeal

1. RTI Act 2005 — §6(1), §7(1), §8(1)(d), §8(1)(j), §8(2), §19, §20.
2. National Highways Authority of India Act 1988.
3. National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008 (amended 2013).
4. Subhash Chandra Agarwal v. PMO (CIC 2014).
5. CIC NHAI Toll Disputes (2018), FASTag Disputes (2022).

Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.

RTI for toll collection by NHAI — complete guide on auditing and complaining about toll plazas:

1. Step 1: What is NHAI toll collection? (a) the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) — collects the toll — on the national highways — through the toll plazas — to recover the cost — of the construction — and the maintenance — of the highways, (b) the toll is collected: (i) through the FASTag — the electronic toll collection — using the RFID tag — on the vehicle, (ii) through the cash — at the toll plaza — for the vehicles — without the FASTag, © the toll rates — are fixed — by the NHAI — based on: (i) the vehicle category — (car, jeep, van; LCV; truck/bus; heavy vehicle), (ii) the distance — travelled — on the highway, (iii) the type — of the highway — (BOT, TOT, OMT), (iv) the annual revision — based on the WPI (Wholesale Price Index).
2. Step 2: Common toll collection issues. (a) overcharging: (i) the toll plaza — charges more — than the notified rate, (ii) the toll plaza — does not display — the toll rates — at the plaza, (b) FASTag issues: (i) the FASTag — is debited — multiple times — for the same trip, (ii) the FASTag — is debited — for the wrong category — (e.g., car charged as truck), (iii) the FASTag — is debited — at the wrong plaza — or the wrong lane, © cash lane issues: (i) the cash lane — is not available — despite the rule — that at least one cash lane — must be available, (ii) the cash lane — charges double — as the penalty — for the vehicles — without the FASTag, (d) receipt issues: (i) the toll plaza — does not issue — the receipt — for the cash payment, (ii) the receipt — does not show — the toll rate — and the vehicle category, (e) FASTag blacklisting: (i) the FASTag — is blacklisted — for the low balance — without the SMS alert, (ii) the FASTag — is blacklisted — erroneously — and the vehicle — is held — at the plaza.
3. Step 3: File RTI on NHAI toll collection. File RTI with the NHAI asking for: (a) the toll rates: “Provide the notified toll rates — for the toll plaza — at [location] — on the NH-[number] — including: (i) the vehicle category, (ii) the rate — for the single trip, (iii) the rate — for the return trip, (iv) the monthly pass, (v) the local pass”, (b) the revenue: “Provide the toll revenue — collected — at the toll plaza — at [location] — for the period [date] to [date] — including: (i) the daily revenue, (ii) the FASTag revenue, (iii) the cash revenue, (iv) the number of vehicles”, © the FASTag: “Provide the FASTag transaction details — for the vehicle number [number] — for the period [date] to [date] — including: (i) the plaza, (ii) the date and time, (iii) the amount, (iv) the lane”, (d) the complaints: “Provide the complaints — against the toll plaza — at [location] — for the period [date] to [date] — including: (i) the complaint numbers, (ii) the nature, (iii) the resolution”, (e) the concessionaire: “Provide the concessionaire details — for the toll plaza — at [location] — including: (i) the name, (ii) the concession period, (iii) the concession fee, (iv) the performance — and the penalties”.
4. Step 4: The NHAI as a public authority. (a) the NHAI — is a public authority — under the RTI Act — and the CPIO — is the PIO — at the headquarters — in New Delhi, (b) the NHAI — has designated: (i) the CPIO — at the headquarters, (ii) the PIOs — at the regional offices, (iii) the APIOs — at the project offices — and the toll plazas, © the RTI application — can be filed: (i) online — on the NHAI website — nhai.gov.in, (ii) by post — to the CPIO, NHAI, New Delhi, (iii) in person — at the NHAI office, (d) the application fee — is Rs 10 — by the IPO — or the court fee stamp — or the online payment.
5. Step 5: How to complain about toll plaza issues. (a) Step 1 — complain to the toll plaza supervisor: file a complaint — at the toll plaza — with the supervisor — and get the complaint number, (b) Step 2 — complain to the NHAI: file a complaint — with: (i) the NHAI helpline — 1033, (ii) the NHAI email — at the regional office, (iii) the NHAI portal — nhai.gov.in, © Step 3 — complain to the FASTag issuer: file a complaint — with the FASTag issuer bank — or the wallet — for the FASTag issues, (d) Step 4 — file RTI: file RTI — with the NHAI — to get the toll rates, the transaction details, and the complaint status, (e) Step 5 — approach the consumer forum: file a complaint — with the District Consumer Forum — for the overcharging — and the deficiency of service.
6. Step 6: Key rules and regulations on toll collection. (a) the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 — govern the toll rates — and the collection, (b) the rules provide: (i) the toll rates — are revised — annually — based on the WPI, (ii) at least one lane — must be kept — as the cash lane — for the vehicles — without the FASTag, (iii) the local residents — get a discount — on the monthly pass, (iv) the FASTag — is mandatory — from February 15, 2021 — and the cash payment — attracts a double fee — as the penalty, © the NHAI — must display: (i) the toll rates — at the plaza, (ii) the distance — to which the toll applies, (iii) the concessionaire details, (iv) the complaint mechanism.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) check the toll rate (before the trip — check the toll rate — on the NHAI website — to avoid the overcharging), (b) keep the FASTag charged (keep the FASTag — charged — to avoid the blacklisting — and the double fee), © get the receipt (for the cash payment — always get the receipt — and check the rate — and the vehicle category), (d) file RTI (if the overcharging — or the FASTag issue — is not resolved — file RTI — with the NHAI — to get the transaction details — and the toll rates), (e) Example: A driver — was charged Rs 200 — at a toll plaza — where the notified rate — was Rs 115 — he filed a complaint — with the NHAI helpline — and RTI — asking for the notified rate — the RTI reply showed — that the notified rate — was Rs 115 — the driver filed a complaint — with the Consumer Forum — and got the refund — and the compensation.

See RTI Toll NHAI and RTI Scope.