To promote women’s empowerment and inclusivity in toll operations, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed more than 5,100 female staff during day shifts to manage toll booths at over 1,140 toll plazas across the National Highways and Expressway network in the country.
The initiative aims to enhance the overall user experience for highway commuters by creating a more efficient, empathetic, and user-friendly environment at toll plazas. The presence of women staff in frontline roles is also expected to reduce disputes and improve service delivery during toll collection.
The decision was taken after consultations with stakeholders including toll plaza operators and industry associations such as the National Highways Builder Federation (NHBF), Highway Operators Association of India (HOAI) and the All India User Fee Contractors Federation (AIUCF). All toll operators have agreed to deploy women staff for toll collection during day shifts.
NHAI will closely monitor the implementation of this initiative. The move is expected to generate employment opportunities for women, especially in rural and semi-urban regions, while strengthening their participation in the highway infrastructure sector.
As part of the initiative, NHAI will also provide specialised training to the deployed women staff, particularly those from rural backgrounds. The training will focus on courteous interaction with highway users, emergency handling, basic safety protocols, and efficient toll plaza operations.
The initiative reflects NHAI’s commitment to gender inclusivity, social empowerment, and improved service quality across toll plazas on India’s National Highways and Expressways.
