The National Highways Authority of India has deployed more than 5,100 women staff at toll plazas across the national highways and expressway network in an initiative aimed at promoting gender inclusivity, improving service delivery and strengthening women’s participation in the highway infrastructure sector.
According to official information released on 6 March 2026, the women personnel have been assigned to manage toll booths during day shifts at more than 1,140 toll plazas across the country. The initiative is intended to enhance commuter experience by fostering an efficient, courteous and user friendly environment at national highway fee plazas.
Officials said the deployment of women in frontline operational roles is expected to reduce disputes at toll booths and encourage smoother interactions between toll operators and highway users. The initiative is also designed to strengthen employment opportunities for women, particularly those from rural and semi urban areas located near major highway corridors.
The decision to deploy women staff at toll plazas was taken after consultations with various stakeholders in the highway sector. Discussions were held with toll plaza operators as well as key industry associations including the National Highways Builder Federation, the Highway Operators Association of India and the All India User Fee Contractors Federation.
All toll operators have agreed to implement the plan and deploy women staff during day shifts for user fee collection at toll plazas. More than 5,100 women have already been appointed under the initiative, and additional recruitment is expected in the coming months as the programme expands.
The National Highways Authority of India will closely monitor the implementation of the initiative to ensure that toll operators adhere to the guidelines and maintain consistent standards across toll plazas.
Apart from improving the user experience on national highways, the initiative is also expected to contribute to employment generation in remote regions located along highway corridors. By providing new job opportunities, the programme aims to increase women’s economic participation and support social empowerment at the grassroots level.
As part of the initiative, the National Highways Authority of India will facilitate specialised training programmes for the deployed women staff. Particular attention will be given to training women recruited from rural backgrounds to ensure they are equipped with the skills required for toll plaza operations.
The training programmes will focus on courteous interaction with highway users, emergency response management, safety protocols and efficient toll collection procedures. The structured training framework is intended to enhance operational efficiency while ensuring a safe and professional working environment for the staff.
Officials stated that encouraging women to participate in operational roles in the highway sector represents an important step towards greater gender balance in infrastructure related services.
By integrating women into frontline roles at toll plazas, the National Highways Authority of India aims to create a more inclusive workforce while simultaneously improving the quality of services provided to millions of highway users across the country.
