The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced that cash payments at toll plazas on national highways will no longer be accepted from April 10.
Vehicles without a valid FASTag can still pay using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), but the toll fee will be 25% higher, at 1.25 times the standard rate. According to a senior National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official, the move is intended to reduce long queues and ensure smoother travel on highways. FASTag remains the primary payment method.
The notification specifies: “If a vehicle enters a fee plaza without a FASTag or valid functional FASTag and opts for UPI, the user shall pay 1.25 times the applicable fee.” Non-compliance will attract penalties under rule 14.
In related developments, NHAI’s FASTag annual pass, launched on August 15, now has over 50 lakh subscribers, allowing up to 200 toll crossings for Rs 3,000 annually. The pass has processed 26.55 crore transactions at more than 1,150 fee plazas nationwide.
