The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Tuesday officially announced a revised fee structure for overloaded trucks travelling on national highways.
The new rules, notified on Tuesday, will come into effect from April 15, 2026, and aim to improve compliance, road safety and protect highway infrastructure, reported the PTI.
Under the updated rules, charges will now depend on how much a vehicle exceeds its permitted Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)-
– Up to 10 per cent excess load: No additional fee
– 10 per cent to 40 per cent excess load: Charged at twice the base rate
– Above 40 per cent excess load: Charged at four times the base rate
The revised system replaces earlier methods and introduces a more structured and proportionate penalty mechanism.
Focus on safety and infra
According to the PTI, the amendment, part of the National Highways Fee Rules, is designed to discourage overloading, which is a major cause of road damage and accidents.
Officials said the move will help ensure safer travel conditions while extending the lifespan of highways.
Weighment and enforcement
Overloading will be determined using certified weighing equipment installed at toll plazas, as per the PTI.
The ministry stated that no overloading fee will be charged where weighing facilities are not available and all fees will be collected digitally through FASTag.
Push for better compliance
The government hopes the revised framework will encourage transporters to follow prescribed load limits more strictly.
By linking penalties directly to the degree of overloading, authorities aim to make enforcement more transparent and effective, the news agency reported.
PM inaugurates Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, which will cut travel time between the two cities to nearly half.
The 213 km-long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.
The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, according to an official statement.
(with PTI inputs)