Cashless Toll Payments Mandatory on National Highways From April 1
Cashless toll payments introduced nationwide from April 1 as FASTag and UPI become mandatory aiming to reduce congestion improve transparency and ensure faster movement at toll plazas.
- Cashless toll payments mandatory across national highways
- FASTag and UPI replace cash toll payments
- Toll plazas see faster traffic movement
In a major move aimed at modernizing highway travel, the central government has made cashless toll payments mandatory across all national highways from April 1. The decision marks the beginning of a new financial year with a shift towards complete digital transactions at toll plazas.
Under the new rule, vehicle owners can no longer pay toll fees using cash. Instead, payments must be made through FASTag or digital platforms like UPI. The National Highways Authority of India had already announced this transition earlier, giving commuters time to adapt to the new system.
The initiative is designed to ease congestion at toll plazas, especially during peak travel seasons and holidays when long queues of vehicles often cause delays. By eliminating cash transactions, authorities aim to ensure smoother and faster movement of traffic across highways.
Officials said that nearly 98 percent of toll payments were already being made through FASTag, making it easier to fully implement the digital system. The complete shift to cashless payments is expected to streamline operations and reduce waiting time for commuters.
Apart from improving convenience, the move will also enhance transparency in toll collection and minimize manual handling of cash. Authorities believe this step will significantly improve efficiency and provide a better travel experience for motorists.
With digital payments now becoming the only option, travelers are advised to ensure their FASTag accounts are active or use UPI methods while passing through toll plazas to avoid inconvenience.
