3 min readPatnaJul 8, 2026 05:40 AM IST
First published on: Jul 8, 2026 at 05:40 AM IST
Amid mounting criticism from the Opposition over Bihar’s newly notified road user fee framework, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday said private vehicles would not have to pay toll on state-owned roads and bridges, clarifying that the proposed levy would apply only to commercial vehicles.
Addressing a Sahyog Shivir programme at the Haripur Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan in Araria district’s Forbesganj block, Choudhary accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation about the new policy.
“There is no confusion over toll tax… The Bihar government has decided that no toll tax will be imposed on private vehicles. Only commercial vehicles will be charged,” he said.
The clarification comes a day after the Road Construction Department issued a notification laying down the Bihar Road User Fee (Determination and Collection of Rates) Rules, 2026, which were approved by the state Cabinet on July 1.
The notification prescribes user fee rates for various categories of vehicles, including cars, jeeps and vans at Rs 1.25 per kilometre, light commercial vehicles at Rs 2 per kilometre, buses and trucks at Rs 4.25 per kilometre, and heavy multi-axle vehicles between Rs 6.65 and Rs 8.10 per kilometre depending on axle configuration. It also provides for separate charges on notified bridges, bypasses and other road structures.
The rules create the legal framework for levying user fees on roads, bridges, tunnels, bypasses and other road infrastructure owned by the Bihar government. They also provide for annual revision of rates based on the Wholesale Price Index, electronic toll collection through FASTag and other approved systems, higher charges for overloaded and non-FASTag vehicles, concessional passes, specified exemptions, and provisions relating to audit and enforcement.
While the notification includes rates for private vehicles such as cars, the Chief Minister said they would remain outside the scope of the proposed toll regime, indicating that only commercial vehicles would ultimately be charged. It was not immediately clear whether the government would amend the notified rules to reflect the exemption.
Financial pressures
The notification comes at a time when the state government is under pressure over its finances. In recent weeks, it withdrew Rs 3,662 crore from the Contingency Fund to meet social security pension payments and has proposed raising more than Rs 64,000 crore through market borrowings during the current financial year.
According to the Bihar Economic Survey 2025-26, the state has invested around Rs 1.80 lakh crore in road infrastructure since 2005-06. Bihar has over 3,600 km of state highways and more than 16,700 km of major district roads, in addition to 6,389 km of national highways, where toll collection is governed by the Centre. The survey also shows that Bihar registered 13.95 lakh vehicles in 2024, including around 12.25 lakh non-transport vehicles and 1.70 lakh transport vehicles.
Addressing a Sahyog Shivir programme at the Haripur Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan in Araria district’s Forbesganj block, Choudhary accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation about the new policy.(File/Express Photo) 
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