The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed more than 5,100 women staff during day shifts at over 1,140 toll plazas across national highways and expressways, as part of an initiative aimed at promoting gender inclusivity and improving service delivery at toll booths.
According to the NHAI, the move seeks to enhance the experience of highway users by creating a more efficient, empathetic and user-friendly environment at toll plazas. The presence of women staff in frontline operational roles is also expected to reduce disputes during toll collection.
The decision was taken after 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). All toll operators have agreed to deploy women staff for toll collection during day shifts.
NHAI said it will closely monitor the implementation of the initiative to ensure compliance across toll plazas.
The programme is also expected to create employment opportunities for women, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, and strengthen their participation in the national highway infrastructure sector.
As part of the initiative, NHAI will facilitate specialised training for the deployed female staff, especially those from rural backgrounds. The training will focus on courteous interaction with highway users, handling emergency situations, basic safety protocols and maintaining efficient toll plaza operations.
NHAI said the structured capacity-building effort is aimed at enhancing service quality while ensuring a safe and professional working environment for the women staff deployed at toll plazas.
