
Residents living within 20 km of a National Highway toll plaza can now buy an annual concessional pass for Rs 1,500 at plazas outside municipal limits and Rs 3,000 at those inside. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the changes to NH Fee Rules on Monday, 26 October. The new annual pass offers a saving of up to Rs 2,820 compared to the existing monthly pass of Rs 360, which costs Rs 4,320 a year.

To be eligible, vehicle owners must have a valid FASTag registered for personal use. The pass is valid only for the specific toll plaza and cannot be transferred. It will not be issued for highways or expressways with a closed user fee collection system. Residents are also ineligible if a service road or alternative route is available. The rates will be revised each year on 1 April.
Both Times of India and Economic Times reported the new annual NH toll pass as a straight factual notification, with no framing differences. Each source listed the same rates, eligibility conditions, and exclusions without editorial comment. The only variation is that Times of India led with the relief for commuters while Economic Times highlighted the potential savings figure. Neither source criticised the government or questioned the condition that residents are ineligible if an alternative road exists, which could limit the pass's benefit for many. The coverage is uniform straight reporting of a routine rule change. The pass will take effect from the notification date, with rates revised annually on 1 April.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.