New Delhi: The Road Transport Ministry is developing a toll policy to offer benefits to state and private bus operators using national highways, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday.
The government has already launched a FASTag-based annual pass for non-commercial vehicles, priced at Rs 3,000, effective from August 15, to facilitate hassle-free travel on highways. The pass is valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips, whichever comes first, and is applicable exclusively to private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.
“We are working on a toll policy to provide benefits to state and private bus operators who use national highways,” Gadkari said while addressing BOCI’s Bharat Prawaas Awards.
He added that the government has identified 10 highway stretches across the country for the operation of green hydrogen-powered trucks to curb vehicular pollution. These stretches will feature hydrogen refueling stations, to be set up by Indian Oil and Reliance Petroleum.
Gadkari further noted that Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Volvo have already begun manufacturing hydrogen-powered trucks. The selected highway corridors include Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra, Bhubaneswar–Puri–Konark, Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat, Sahibabad–Faridabad–Delhi, Jamshedpur–Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi, and Jamnagar–Ahmedabad, among others.
He also highlighted that the NHAI is constructing 750 wayside amenities on private land along national highways to improve traveler facilities.
