To promote women’s empowerment and inclusivity in toll operations, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed more than 5,100 women staff during day shifts to manage toll booths at over 1,140 toll plazas across National Highways and Expressways nationwide. The move aims to improve commuter experience by creating a more efficient, empathetic, and user-friendly environment, while also reducing the likelihood of disputes at toll plazas.
The decision follows consultations with key stakeholders, including toll plaza operators and industry bodies such as the National Highways Builder Federation (NHBF), Highway Operators Association of India (HOAI), and the All India User Fee Contractors Federation (AIUCF). Toll operators have unanimously agreed to deploy women staff in day shifts for user fee collection. NHAI confirmed that more female staff are expected to join operations in the near future.
The authority will closely monitor implementation to ensure compliance with the initiative. Besides enhancing commuter service, the programme is expected to generate employment opportunities for women, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions, and strengthen their participation in the highway infrastructure sector.
As part of the initiative, NHAI will also organise specialised training programmes for women staff, especially those from rural backgrounds. The training will cover courteous interaction with highway users, emergency response handling, safety protocols, and efficient toll plaza management. This structured capacity-building effort aims to enhance service quality while ensuring a safe and professional work environment.
Through greater participation of women in frontline operational roles, NHAI seeks to advance gender inclusivity and social empowerment while improving service delivery at toll plazas across the country.