The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has ended a policy that allowed toll plaza operators to let vehicles pass without paying if the queue was longer than 100 meters. This rule, introduced in May 2021, was not widely followed, leading to many complaints.

Earlier, a yellow line was painted 100 meters away from the toll booth in each lane. This was done to encourage toll plaza operators to be more responsible. 

According to new guidelines, the NHAI announced that the rule about "service time at toll plazas" has been removed. The decision was made because there is no rule in the National Highway Fee Rules 2008 that allows for toll-free travel based on the length of vehicle queues. "There is no such provision of exemption/free flow applicable relating to distance of queuing of vehicles at toll plaza as part of transaction as per the NH Fee Rules 2008.”

The old rule aimed to reduce wait times at toll booths by ensuring that vehicles would not wait more than 10 seconds during peak hours. If the line extended beyond 100 meters, the toll barriers were to be lifted to allow free passage. However, this rule was difficult to enforce and led to significant criticism and questions in Parliament.

To improve traffic management, the NHAI has now introduced a live monitoring system at 100 toll plazas where wait times are five minutes or more. Drivers without a FASTag who want to pass through a toll plaza have to pay double the regular toll fees. The system will help take immediate action to reduce long queues. More toll plazas may be added to this system in the future.