New Delhi, Dec. 2 -- The Union government is finalising a new 'model concession agreement' (MCA) for build-operate-transfer toll (BoT-toll) highway projects that introduces a major policy shift: an automatic buyback of tolled highways once traffic crosses a defined saturation point.

The move by the ministry of road transport and highways aims to ensure timely expansion of high-density corridors, protect investor viability, and bring greater clarity on contract termination and compensation.

BOT-toll is a public-private partnership in which a private company finances, builds, operates, and maintains a highway for a set period, recovering its costs through tolls before transferring ownership back to the government. This model allows the go...