Road travel just got pricier as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) jacked up toll charges by 4-5% across India’s national highways and expressways, effective Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

The hike, confirmed by a senior highways ministry official, hits commuters on bustling routes like the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and Delhi-Jaipur Highway, among others, digging deeper into their wallets.

This annual ritual, tied to the wholesale price index-based inflation, adjusts tolls every April 1 under the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. With 855 toll plazas dotting the network—675 public-funded and 180 run by concessionaires—the increase spans the country’s arterial roads.

NHAI issues separate notifications for each highway, ensuring no stretch escapes the uptick.

While the ministry touts it as routine, the 4-5% jump—slightly below last June’s 5% hike—adds to the burden of rising fuel costs and inflation. Critics argue it’s a stealth tax on a captive audience, with little visible upgrade in road quality.

For daily travelers and truckers, it’s another blow to budgets already stretched thin. As NHAI rakes in revenue—Rs 64,810 crore in FY24 alone—the question lingers: will commuters see smoother rides, or just emptier pockets?