India Revises Overloading Fees on National Highways

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, introducing a revised framework for fee collection from vehicles carrying loads beyond permissible limits. The amended rules come into force on 15th April, 2026, and aim to strengthen enforcement, protect highway infrastructure, and promote compliance with prescribed load limits.

Under the revised Rule 10, overloading fees will be levied in a tiered structure based on the degree of excess load. Vehicles carrying up to 10 per cent excess load will not attract any overload fee. Those exceeding permissible limits by more than 10 per cent and up to 40 per cent will be charged at two times the applicable base rate, while vehicles carrying loads above 40 per cent over the permitted Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) will be charged at four times the base rate. The notification also includes a detailed illustration to aid transparency in calculating charges across different vehicle categories.

Overloading will be determined using certified weight measurement devices installed at fee plazas. Importantly, where weighment facilities are not available at a fee plaza, no overload fee will be levied. This provision ensures that charges are based solely on scientifically verified measurements, offering a safeguard against arbitrary enforcement.

All overloading fees must be collected exclusively through FASTag, reinforcing the government's broader push toward digital payment infrastructure on National Highways. Vehicles entering National Highways without a valid FASTag will remain subject to applicable provisions under existing rules. Additionally, details of overloaded vehicles will be recorded and reported to the National Vehicle Register on the VAHAN platform, enabling centralised monitoring and data-driven enforcement.

The amendment contains an applicability clause specifying that its provisions will not extend to certain private investment projects executed before the rules' commencement, unless the concessionaires involved consent to adopting the revised framework. This carve-out is intended to respect existing contractual obligations while encouraging wider voluntary adoption.

The amendment is expected to reduce road damage caused by overloaded vehicles, improve compliance among freight operators, and support more efficient movement of goods across the National Highway network, including through integration with Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems.