Govt Notifies New Rules to Penalise Overloaded Vehicles on Highways; Stricter Fee Structure from April 15

Ziraat Times News Desk

New Delhi, April 14: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified amendments to the National Highways fee rules, introducing a revised and stricter framework for levying charges on overloaded vehicles, aimed at improving compliance and protecting road infrastructure.

The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026 will come into effect from April 15, 2026, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

Revised penalty structure

Under the amended provisions, a new fee mechanism has been introduced under Rule 10, linking penalties directly to the extent of overloading beyond the permissible Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).

• Vehicles carrying up to 10% excess load will not attract any additional fee

• Overloading between 10% and 40% will be charged at twice the base toll rate

• Vehicles with over 40% excess load will face a penalty of four times the base rate

The ministry said the revised structure is designed to ensure proportional penalties and discourage excessive overloading.

Scientific enforcement measures

To strengthen enforcement, the rules mandate the use of certified weighment devices at toll plazas to determine overloading. Importantly, the government has clarified that no overload fee will be levied at plazas lacking weighment facilities, ensuring fairness in implementation.

Digital compliance and tracking

In a move towards digitisation and transparency:

• All overload charges must be paid through FASTag only

• Details of overloaded vehicles will be recorded and reported to the VAHAN national vehicle database

• Vehicles entering highways without valid FASTag will be subject to existing penalties

Limited applicability

The ministry stated that the new provisions will not automatically apply to certain older public-private partnership projects executed prior to the amendment, unless concessionaires opt to adopt the revised framework.

Objective: Safety and infrastructure protection

Officials said the amendment aims to reduce road damage caused by overloaded vehicles, enhance safety, and streamline freight movement across the national highway network.

The notification also includes detailed illustrations for calculating overload fees, intended to improve clarity and ensure uniform implementation across the country.

The move is expected to bring greater discipline in freight transport while aligning enforcement with modern digital and monitoring systems.