People who live close to a National Highway toll plaza will soon be able to buy a FASTag local pass that covers a full year of crossings at their nearest plaza for a single payment of Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, that the Concessional Local Pass will come into effect on 1 November 2026, according to a Press Information Bureau release.
The pass is meant for private car, jeep and van owners who cross the same plaza again and again for work, school, markets and hospital visits. Until now, the main option for such residents has been a monthly pass that has to be renewed every month.
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How much the FASTag local pass costs
The price depends on where the plaza stands. The annual fee is Rs 1,500 for a fee plaza located outside municipal or local town limits, and Rs 3,000 for a plaza situated within those limits, the ministry said. The pass is valid only for the plaza for which it is issued and cannot be transferred to any other plaza.
The Centre can revise the rates every year, with revisions taking effect on 1 April, according to the PIB release and a Financial Express explainer. That is the same annual cycle used for most National Highway user fees.
For a regular commuter the saving can be sizeable. Mint reported that the existing monthly pass is priced at Rs 350, which works out to Rs 4,200 a year, so the Rs 3,000 slab costs nearly 29 per cent less and the Rs 1,500 slab saves more. Moneycontrol, citing PTI, put the monthly pass at Rs 360, or Rs 4,320 a year. Either way, a resident who uses the pass every month for a year comes out ahead.
Who is eligible
The concession is open to owners of non commercial vehicles who live within 20 km of a National Highway fee plaza and have a valid and functional FASTag registered for non commercial use. Eligible owners can choose between the existing monthly pass and the new annual local pass for commuting through one specific plaza, the ministry said.
Living within the 20 km radius does not by itself guarantee a pass. The NDTV report on the notification noted that owners must also meet the other conditions set out in the amended rules, and commercial vehicles such as taxis and goods carriers are not covered.
Mint reported that the system will check the applicant’s address, vehicle details and the linked FASTag before deciding whether a pass can be issued.
Where the pass will not apply
There are two clear exclusions. The pass will not be available on National Highways or expressways where toll is collected under a closed user fee system, in which motorists pay according to the distance they actually travel between entry and exit points. It will also not be issued where a service road or an alternative road is available for commuters, the Economic Times reported, quoting the notification.
When and where to get it
The annual local pass will be sold at eligible toll plazas from 1 November 2026. It will also be available through the Rajmargyatra app, run by the National Highways Authority of India, from 1 December 2026, according to the PIB release.
Mint reported that NHAI has already extended its digital monthly local pass facility to about 300 plazas through the app, and that this facility will now be extended to the annual pass at those plazas. Commuters can use the app to check whether their regular plaza is covered.
The legal basis
The change has been notified as the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, issued under the National Highways Act, 1956. NDTV reported that the notification was issued on 26 October and amends rules first framed in 2008.
Explaining the purpose, the ministry said that “with over 13 crore FASTags issued across the country†the provision aims to make travel more economical for residents living near toll plazas.
How it differs from the FASTag annual pass
The new local pass should not be confused with the nationwide FASTag Annual Pass launched in August 2025. That pass now costs Rs 3,075 and covers up to 200 toll plaza crossings on eligible National Highways within a year. Mint reported that more than one crore users have bought it. The local pass, by contrast, gives a year of crossings at only one chosen plaza.
A MoRTH official told Mint that any revenue loss to highway concessionaires from the local pass will be made good by the ministry, in the same way as under the existing annual pass.
Why the change matters now
The timing is linked to barrier free tolling. Under Multi Lane Free Flow, or MLFF, vehicles pass toll points without stopping at booths, and cameras and FASTag readers record each crossing. Mint reported that MLFF is operating at six plazas: Choryasi, Mundaka, Daulatpura, Gharaunda, Manoharpur and Shahjahanpur.
Some local residents used to cross plazas informally because booth staff knew them, an arrangement that is not possible under MLFF. Officials found that people living within 20 km of plazas accounted for a significant share of electronic notices issued for unpaid toll, Mint said. Without a valid pass, such a notice can demand double the toll amount.
Infrastructure expert Vaibhav Dange told Mint the scheme was “a very good initiative†for residents who use a short stretch of highway for regular work.
Read more on Bharat Stories about how to buy and recharge a FASTag online, planning a Delhi to Agra road trip, and how electric vehicles are spreading on Indian roads.
Featured image photo: Chanduclicks, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Addakal toll plaza on NH44 in Mahabubnagar, Telangana, photographed in 2022).
FAQ
What is the FASTag local pass?
It is an annual Concessional Local Pass for non commercial vehicles whose owners live within 20 km of a National Highway fee plaza. It costs Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 a year and works at one chosen plaza.
When does it start?
It will be available at eligible plazas from 1 November 2026 and on the Rajmargyatra app from 1 December 2026.
Can I use it at any toll plaza?
No. The pass is valid only at the plaza for which it is issued and cannot be transferred to another plaza.
Sources
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 27 October 2026: fees, eligibility, exclusions, start dates, rules and ministry statement.
- Mint, 27 October 2026: monthly pass price, annual pass comparison, MLFF plazas, app rollout and official and expert comments.
- Moneycontrol (PTI), 27 October 2026: monthly pass price of Rs 360 and ministry statement.
- NDTV, 27 October 2026: notification date of 26 October and eligibility conditions.
- The Economic Times, 27 October 2026: notification details and exclusions.
- Financial Express, 27 October 2026: annual revision from 1 April and exclusions.