New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that all toll plazas on the national highways will discontinue accepting cash payments starting April 1, 2026. The motorists will be required to pay the tolls using FASTag or UPI-based payments, and this will be a significant change to fully digital highways.
According to the NHAI officials, this will improve traffic flow, decrease the time of waiting in toll booths, and enhance transparency in collecting tolls. The transition will be smoother since over 98 percent of vehicles on national highways use FASTag already.
Under the new system:
- Vehicles that do not have a valid FASTag would be required to pay through UPI.
- The toll lanes will cease cash payments, and any violation can lead to fines or twice the charges as provided by pre-existing regulations.
- Online payments will help reduce congestion, particularly during rush times.
The NHAI has more than 1,150 toll plazas in the country. The authorities have urged the commuters to have their FASTag accounts active and topped up before April 1 to avoid inconvenience.
The move is part of a broader governmental initiative to go cashless, enhance efficiency, and commuter experience within road networks in India.