The National Highways Authority of India has rolled out two new digital features on its RajmargYatra mobile app, aimed at cutting down waiting time at toll plazas and making highway related services easier to access for commuters. The additions include an online Digital Local Pass facility and an AI-powered assistant called MargMitra, both of which are designed to reduce paperwork and speed up access to services that earlier required a visit to a toll plaza in person.
How does the Digital Local Pass work?
The Digital Local Pass allows commuters living within 20 kms of a toll plaza to apply for a monthly local toll pass directly through the RajmargYatra app, without having to visit the plaza or submit physical documents. Once issued, the pass permits unlimited travel through the respective toll plaza for the duration of its validity. To verify eligibility, the app takes the user's consent and then cross checks their details across several government platforms. Address verification is carried out through DigiLocker, while vehicle registration details are matched against the VAHAN database. The user's linked FASTag is verified separately using a GIS based system, which also confirms whether the applicant actually resides within the required 20 kilometre radius of the toll plaza.
First rollout at Mundka Bakkarwala Toll Plaza
At present, the Digital Local Pass service is live only at the Mundka Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on Delhi's Urban Extension Road-II. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the facility will be extended to additional toll plazas across the country in the coming months, though a specific timeline for the wider rollout has not been announced yet.
What the MargMitra Help Centre offers?
Alongside the local pass feature, NHAI has also introduced the MargMitra Help Centre within the RajmargYatra app, positioned as a single window for highway related assistance. The assistant supports 22 Indian languages, allowing users to type or speak their queries in the language of their choice, after which it either resolves the query directly or directs the user to the relevant service. MargMitra is built to handle a range of FASTag related issues, including recharge problems, KYC requirements, refund status tracking, and queries related to annual and local passes.
Complaint tracking and other highway services
The help centre also allows users to lodge complaints through the app, which are then automatically routed to the concerned department for action. Commuters can track the progress of their complaints in real time and file an appeal if they are not satisfied with the resolution provided. In addition to this, MargMitra lets users check their FASTag blacklisting status, view pending e-notices, and report road safety concerns such as stalled vehicles or encroachments on national highways, extending the app's role beyond toll payments into broader highway management.
