MoRTH notifies new fee structure for overloaded vehicles on National Highways from 15 April
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, effective 15 April 2026, levying no fee for up to 10% excess load, twice the base rate for over 10% to 40%, and four times above 40%.
Summary
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, which come into force on 15 April 2026, the ministry said on 14 April. A revised framework under Rule 10 charges vehicles carrying loads above the permissible Gross Vehicle Weight by the percentage of overloading: no overload fee up to 10% excess, twice the base rate for over 10% and up to 40%, and four times the base rate above 40%. Overloading will be measured by certified weighing devices at fee plazas, and no overload fee will be levied where no weighment facility exists. Overload fees are to be collected only through FASTag, and details of overloaded vehicles will be reported to VAHAN. The rules do not apply to certain earlier private investment projects unless concessionaires agree.
Key facts
- Rules
- National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026
- In force
- 15 April 2026
- Up to 10% excess
- No overload fee
- Over 10% to 40%
- 2 × base rate
- Above 40%
- 4 × base rate
- Collection / reporting
- FASTag only; reported to VAHAN; no fee without weighment facility
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Under the National Highways Fee (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026, up to what level of excess load is no overload fee charged?
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Correct answer: B — 10%
No overload fee is charged for excess load up to 10%.
Under the revised rules effective 15 April 2026, a vehicle carrying more than 40% excess load on a National Highway is charged:
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Correct answer: C — Four times the base rate
Above 40% excess load, the fee is four times the base rate; over 10% and up to 40% it is twice the base rate.
Consider the following statements about the overload fee rules for National Highways notified in April 2026: 1. Overload fees are to be collected only through FASTag. 2. Where a fee plaza has no weighment facility, the overload fee is charged on the vehicle's declared Gross Vehicle Weight. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: where weighment facilities are not available at a fee plaza, no overload fee is levied.