NHAI Deploys Over 5,100 Women at Toll Plazas Nationwide

13 Mar 2026 CW Team

NHAI will closely monitor implementation to ensure compliance and to assess operational outcomes at the plazas. The initiative is expected to generate employment opportunities for women, particularly in rural and semi urban regions, and to strengthen their participation in National Highway infrastructure projects and operations. The programme also seeks to increase safety and professionalism at remote locations while supporting local economies by creating regular paid roles.

As part of the scheme, specialised training will be provided to the deployed staff, with additional focus on candidates from rural backgrounds. The training will cover courteous behaviour with National Highway users, handling emergency situations, basic safety protocols and maintaining efficient toll plaza operations to ensure consistency of service. This structured capacity building is intended to enhance service quality and to provide a safe, professional working environment for women in frontline roles.

The authority plans ongoing review and data collection to measure user satisfaction and to identify areas for improvement at the plazas. Further deployments are anticipated as operators expand the scheme across additional locations and as training scales up to meet demand. By encouraging greater involvement of women in frontline operational roles, the initiative aims to promote gender inclusivity and social empowerment while improving service delivery on the National Highway network.

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 the National Highways and Expressway networks. The measure aims to improve the National Highway user experience by fostering an efficient, empathetic and user friendly environment for commuters while reducing the likelihood of disputes at the fee plazas. Stakeholders including the National Highways Builder Federation (NHBF), the Highway Operators Association of India (HOAI) and the All India User Fee Contractors Federation (AIUCF) agreed to the deployment for user fee collection. NHAI will closely monitor implementation to ensure compliance and to assess operational outcomes at the plazas. The initiative is expected to generate employment opportunities for women, particularly in rural and semi urban regions, and to strengthen their participation in National Highway infrastructure projects and operations. The programme also seeks to increase safety and professionalism at remote locations while supporting local economies by creating regular paid roles. As part of the scheme, specialised training will be provided to the deployed staff, with additional focus on candidates from rural backgrounds. The training will cover courteous behaviour with National Highway users, handling emergency situations, basic safety protocols and maintaining efficient toll plaza operations to ensure consistency of service. This structured capacity building is intended to enhance service quality and to provide a safe, professional working environment for women in frontline roles. The authority plans ongoing review and data collection to measure user satisfaction and to identify areas for improvement at the plazas. Further deployments are anticipated as operators expand the scheme across additional locations and as training scales up to meet demand. By encouraging greater involvement of women in frontline operational roles, the initiative aims to promote gender inclusivity and social empowerment while improving service delivery on the National Highway network.

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