No need to pay toll tax if you’re under these five categories: Know your rights

While the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) has taken major steps to ensure smooth flow of traffic at toll plazas in recent years, we still come across blocked up lines because some motorists feel they are entitled to pass for free. While such motorists often have several excuses to expect that liberty, under the NHAI’s guidelines there are only five categories of vehicles which are exempt from paying toll and there are no other exceptions.Here are those five categories and a bonus tip for you, which will help you not pay a particular toll if you have suffered because of some other careless driver.

Vehicle categories exempt for paying toll tax:
• Emergency Services
• Defence Services
• VIP Vehicles
• Public Transport
• Two-wheelers
As per NHAI guidelines, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigades and police vehicles are exempt from paying toll. Defence vehicle in service under the Army, Navy or Air Force are also exempt and VIP vehicles carrying President, Prime Minister, High Court Judges to foreign dignitaries on State visit are also exempted. State run public transport vehicles and two-wheelers are also free from paying toll with the exception for two-wheeler at some national highway plazas.

Bonus tip:
While under no circumstances are civilian cars exempted from paying the toll tax, according to updated NHAI guidelines vehicles are not allowed to queue up for more than 100 metre and toll plazas need to ensure a service time of no more than 10 seconds per vehicle. If these conditions are not met and you have had to wait and the queue is longer than 100 metre, then under the guidelines the toll staff is required to let the cars pass for free until the queue comes within 100 metre range.

To identify the 100 metre queue threshold, each toll lane has a yellow line marker which can be visually checked to confirm. This has been done to promote a sense of accountability among toll plaza operators.