Free travel ends on Dwarka Expressway; commuters to shell out Rs 220 one way

The days of free travel on the much-hyped Dwarka Expressway have come to an end. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun collecting toll at the newly operational Bijwasan Plaza, formally bringing the 30-km Delhi-Gurugram stretch under its tolling network.

Under the new rule, all vehicles crossing the Delhi-Haryana border via the expressway will now be charged a user fee, ending months of free passage since the road opened earlier this year. The Bijwasan toll plaza will be directly linked to the Kherki Daula toll, where rates have also been revised upward despite repeated state government assurances to remove the plaza altogether.

At Kherki Daula, light motor vehicles (LMVs) will now pay Rs 95 for a one-way trip and Rs 145 for a same-day return. Earlier, commuters paid Rs 80 without any return-trip provision. For those travelling from Delhi to Gurugram via Dwarka Expressway, the total user fee will amount to Rs 220 for a one-way journey and Rs 330 for a return, unless they possess a local monthly pass or a FASTag annual pass.

Following public outcry, NHAI announced a monthly pass of Rs 340 for residents living within a 20-km radius of the expressway.

“To make the process easier, several registration camps have been set up near the Bijwasan toll plaza where residents can obtain their local or annual passes,” said an NHAI official. “This will ensure convenience for nearby residents and daily commuters.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has clarified the tolling formula for vehicles using the expressway. Drivers crossing the Bijwasan Plaza first will pay the fee applicable there and will not be charged again at Kherki Daula for the same trip. However, those crossing Kherki Daula first will have to pay an additional differential fee at Bijwasan.

The NHAI has also warned that overloaded vehicles will attract severe penalties — up to 10 times the normal toll rate — if caught exceeding the permissible weight limit.

However, the toll rollout has stirred fresh resentment among local residents and commuters who argue that the new charges defeat the purpose of the expressway.

“There are many concerns. The Dwarka Expressway was meant to connect Gurugram with Delhi and ease traffic on NH-8. Levelling charges defeats that purpose as people will now look for alternative routes,” said Sunil Sareen of the Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association.

He said, “They have announced a monthly pass, but many residents have vehicles registered outside Gurugram. Their RC and Aadhaar addresses don’t match, so how will they qualify for a local pass? Cab fares will also rise, making commuting costlier.”

Praveen Malik of the United Association of New Gurugram voiced similar concerns. “Now commercial and heavy vehicle drivers will try to bypass toll plazas through internal routes, leading to congestion and chaos in residential sectors,” he said.

Despite the criticism, NHAI officials maintain that tolling is essential for maintenance and long-term sustainability of the project. The authority hopes the monthly pass scheme will strike a balance between revenue generation and local convenience.