Written Authority by Defence HQ on Toll Tax Payment Exemptions for Military Personnel

Payment of Toll Fee by Military personnel is a long pending issue. According to various rules and orders , toll fee is exempted for all defence personnel including exservicemen but the toll authority denies the provision enshrined in the rules of the country. In this regard you may refer the following few lines. In addition recently IHQ of MoD has issued guidelines on the matter on 25 Aug 2023 which is reproduced below:-

ADVISORY : EXEMPTION OF TOLL FEE TO PRIVATE
VEHICLES OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL

1. The Indian Toll (Army, Air Force) Act, 1901 exempts all service pers of reg forces from payment of toll fees across the country. The same is being gtd on pvt vehs of def^. pers on production of I-Cards. However, there have been recent incidents of denial of the said privilege reported from Toll Plazas especially on newly constructed Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

2. In view of the above, comds are requested to sensitize all Rks to avoid any altercation with toll staff. In such cases, the toll tax be paid by the indl and matter be reported to DG OL&SM through fmn channel for appropriate action at our end.

3. For info & necessary action pl.

Toll Tax is in general exempted for defence personnel or not is a matter of controversy even after after having so many positive orders in support of the defence authority. Some toll operators allowed us to avail the free movement and some are not agreed. You must heard somewhere that defence personnel are exempted from paying toll tax but in practical you have not been allowed to proceed in private vehicles without paying toll tax many times at the toll plazas even when you are ready to show your Identity Card. But the reality is different. The matter was written to the competent authority for clarification. The clarifications of various authority is described here.

Necessary instructions would be issued in line with Indian Toll (Army & Air Force) Act, 1901. The provisions of the Indian Toll (Army & Air Force) Act. 1901 would continue to be extended to all defence personnel travelling in private vehicles on production of their Identity Cards at the Toll Plazas. Necessary directions as regard to exemption of Toll Tax for defence personnel have been issued vide letter dated 29 Aug 2022 issued by Air HQ. However , the issuance of the letter by MoRTH is still Awaited and expected to be received soon.

As per rules User fee exemption on the NH fee plaza is available to defence personnel as per Rule 11 Sub Rule b(i) of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 as amended. Further, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways vide their OM dated June 17, 2014 which has clarified that exemption under Indian Toll (Army and Air Force) Act, 1901. As per this act, the exemption is available only to the persons who are ‘on duty’ and does definitely not for retired personnel. However the exemption is available only on production of pass as specified in the Indian Toll (Army and Air Force) Rules, 1942. The Defence HQ (AHQ) has also cleared that Armed Forces people only on official duties in official vehicles are exempted from paying toll tax.

You may follow these orders also to know more about toll tax :

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