Patna: Government vehicles used by MPs, MLAs, ministers and other top officials in Bihar will soon be able to pass through toll plazas without stopping, following a new directive from the state’s transport department. The move grants complete exemption from FASTag toll charges to eligible VVIP vehicles.
Transport minister Shravan Kumar has written to all exempted categories, asking them to install “Exempted FASTags” on their official vehicles and register them on the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) portal. He said the process must be completed within the next three months, in line with the central government’s Standard Operating Procedure.
Kumar noted that several government vehicles belonging to MPs, MLAs, former legislators and senior bureaucrats are already registered and passing through toll gates without delay. Others, he said, should register promptly to avoid issues once the deadline lapses.
He added that halting VVIP convoys at toll plazas often disrupts schedules and affects official meetings. “This arrangement will save valuable time for VVIPs and ensure smooth travel,” he said. Separate letters have also been issued to all eligible officials urging them to complete the process quickly.
Those entitled to toll exemption include the Chief Minister, all ministers, MPs and MLAs (when travelling in government vehicles), the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Chairman, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice and High Court judges, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, former chief ministers, and current and former MLAs and MLCs.
Officials say the exemption applies strictly to designated government vehicles, not private ones, and is intended to streamline movement for public functionaries engaged in official duties.
