NHAI Announces Major Toll Rule Change: Cash Banned, UPI Costlier

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a major change in toll payment rules for travelers on national highways. Starting April 10, a complete shift to a cashless system will be implemented.

The primary objective of this move by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is to eliminate long queues at toll plazas and save travel time for commuters.

According to the new rules, cash payments at toll plazas will be completely discontinued from April 10. FASTag will become mandatory for all vehicles passing through toll plazas.

As vehicles pass through the toll lanes, sensors installed at the plaza will scan FASTag using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The toll amount will be automatically deducted from the linked bank account or wallet without requiring the vehicle to stop.

This system is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve efficiency on highways.

In cases where a vehicle does not have a FASTag or the FASTag is not recharged, an alternative payment option via UPI will still be available.

However, to promote cashless FASTag usage, a strict provision has been introduced. If a user opts to pay toll manually through UPI instead of FASTag, they will be charged 1.25 times the regular toll fee.