NHAI schedules Nattika NH 66 toll from 8 Oct; local pass ₹360

NHAI is scheduled to begin toll collection at the Nattika plaza on Kerala’s NH 66 from 8 Oct 2026. Cars, jeeps and other light motor vehicles are reported to face a ₹120 single-journey charge and a ₹180 same-day return charge, while eligible local non-commercial vehicle owners have a ₹360 monthly-pass option.

The start matters to people using the Kappirikkad–Kodungallur corridor because residents and local political parties are protesting that bridges, approach roads, drainage and other safety works are unfinished. NHAI’s position, as reported by The Times of India, is that toll will be collected only on completed stretches, with boards marking sections that are not chargeable.

Key takeaways

Nattika toll collection is scheduled to start on 8 Oct 2026 on NH 66 in Thrissur district.
The reported car, jeep and light-motor-vehicle rate is ₹120 one way or ₹180 for a same-day return.
The MoRTH fee notification lists a ₹360 monthly pass for non-commercial vehicle owners living within 20 km of the plaza for 2026–27.
Residents and political parties are seeking a delay until pending bridges, service roads, drainage and safety facilities are completed.

What the Nattika toll schedule says

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Gazette notification S.O. 4260(E), issued on 31 Jul 2026, authorises user-fee collection at Nattika for the four-or-more-lane Kappirikkad–Kodungallur section of NH 66. The notification identifies the plaza at design kilometre 347.740, existing chainage kilometre 369.500, in Nattika village, Thrissur.

The start date and the current vehicle charges were reported by The Times of India and OneIndia Malayalam, citing NHAI communications. The figures below therefore describe the announced schedule for travel from 8 Oct 2026, rather than a national toll-rate change.

Vehicle or pass	Single journey	Same-day return or monthly pass
Car, jeep or other light motor vehicle	₹120	₹180 return
Eligible local non-commercial vehicle owner	—	₹360 monthly pass

The ₹360 local pass is not a blanket concession for every commuter. The Gazette describes it for a person who owns a non-commercial mechanical vehicle and lives within 20 km of the fee plaza; it is also subject to annual revision. The authority is required to display the applicable fee rates at the plaza.

Why local groups are protesting

Residents, local-body representatives and political parties held protest marches on 7 Oct, according to Onmanorama. Their complaint is not that the notified plaza does not exist, but that collection is being introduced while parts of the corridor remain unfinished.

Protesters cited incomplete bridge work at Chettuva, Orumanayur, Kandassankadavu and Kodungallur, along with unfinished approach roads and service lanes near Edamuttam and Moonnupeedika. They also raised concerns about drainage, signals, diversion boards and other safety arrangements. These are allegations from the protesting groups, not an independent finding in the reports.

The dispute matters beyond the toll amount. A partially completed corridor can change where traffic merges, where local vehicles enter or exit, and how long a trip takes. Those details affect residents, buses, delivery vehicles and long-distance traffic differently, so a driver should check the live route condition rather than assume that the full corridor is operating as a finished expressway.

NHAI’s position on unfinished sections

Speaking to The Times of India, the NHAI project director said collection would apply only to stretches where work had been completed. He also said boards had been displayed at locations where toll was not being collected and rejected the allegation that streetlights had not been installed along the stretch.

That response leaves an important practical question for users: which completed sections will be treated as tollable on a particular journey? The fee notification says the actual amount is to be calculated by the authority on the basis of the completed length and revised annually under the National Highways Fee Rules. Drivers should rely on the tariff displayed at the plaza and any official NHAI update, not on an old route estimate.

What the charge means for a typical local trip

For a private car making a same-day return across the plaza, the reported charge is ₹180 for a trip beginning on or after 8 Oct 2026. Two such return trips total ₹360, which is the value of the announced local monthly pass; four such return trips would total ₹720. That is simple arithmetic from the published rates, not a recommendation to buy a pass, and the pass is restricted to eligible non-commercial owners within the 20-km local area.

Drivers making a longer journey should add the new toll to fuel and other route costs. The toll-charge calculator can help estimate the toll component, while the road-trip planner can be used to compare the route and likely stops. Fleet and delivery operators can also use the fuel cost calculator alongside the toll estimate; the final operating cost will vary with vehicle class, load, mileage and the actual route used.

What to check before using the corridor

Check the vehicle category and the tariff displayed at Nattika before entering the tollable section.
Keep the FASTag balance and vehicle details current, and retain the transaction message or receipt for any disputed deduction.
If you live within 20 km, verify the documents and eligibility conditions for the ₹360 non-commercial monthly pass before relying on it.
Allow for diversions or slower movement near unfinished bridges, service roads and construction zones, particularly during local travel.
Watch for a formal NHAI or district-administration update if the announced start is changed because of the protests or construction status.

What to watch next

The immediate question is whether the toll begins exactly as scheduled on 8 Oct and how the authority marks completed and non-chargeable sections. The next issue is the pace of bridge, drainage, service-road and safety work identified by local groups. The Gazette also provides for annual revision of user fees, so the displayed schedule—not a one-time online post—will remain the relevant reference for later journeys.

For now, the change is local to the Nattika plaza and the NH 66 corridor in Kerala. It does not announce a nationwide FASTag rule or a new toll for every NH 66 user. A driver passing through the plaza should budget for the announced vehicle-class charge, check the route condition and keep evidence of the toll transaction.