KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to resume and expand toll collection on 23 road sections across the country, including a road tunnel, after a gap of several years.
Road Board Nepal, which had been collecting tolls on 15 roads before the COVID-19 pandemic, has decided to collect tolls from eight more roads. Among the 23 designated roads, two-the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Expressway and the Nagdhunga-Naubise Tunnel-are not yet operational. Toll collection will begin on the remaining 21 roads very soon, according to the Board.
Ganesh Bahadur KC, executive director of the Road Board Nepal, said preparations were underway to resume toll collection. “The Road Toll Collection Procedure, 2025, has been approved by the cabinet. We will start collecting tolls on major roads after the procedure is published in the Gazette,” KC added.
The newly added toll routes include four stretches of the East-West Highway-Butwal-Lamahi, Lamahi-Kohalpur, Kohalpur-Attariya and Attariya-Gaddachauki-as well as Dhulikhel-Tatopani section of Araniko Highway), Muglin-Pokhara section of Prithvi Highway, the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Expressway and the Nagdhunga Tunnel.
The newly added toll routes include four stretches of the East-West Highway-Butwal-Lamahi, Lamahi-Kohalpur, Kohalpur-Attariya and Attariya-Gaddachauki.
Tolls were earlier collected on Bhairahawa-Bhumai, Birgunj-Pathlaiya, Hetauda-Narayanghat, Narayanghat-Butwal, Naubise-Muglin, Kakarbhitta-Damak, Damak-Itahari and Biratnagar-Dharan, among other road sections.
The Board has categorized vehicles into three groups for toll collection. Toll fees for motorcycles range from Rs 5 to Rs 15, while cars, jeeps, pickups and tractors will have to pay in the range of Rs 15 to Rs 85. Larger vehicles like buses, minibuses, trucks, and heavy equipment carriers will be charged between Rs 30 and Rs 140. The toll fees for the new routes, however, have not been made public.
The Nagdhunga Tunnel will have a separate toll structure. Small four-wheelers such as cars, vans, pickups, and microbuses will pay Rs 75 when entering Kathmandu and Rs 50 when exiting. Similarly, mini buses minibuses, mini trucks and tippers will pay Rs 125 to enter and Rs 100 to leave. Larger buses and trucks will be charged Rs 250 for entry and Rs 200 for exit. Heavy lorries will have to pay Rs 500 to enter and Rs 300 to exit Kathmandu.
Although the Board has not specified a date for the road toll rollout, KC said preparations were underway in full swing.
