Cash transactions at NH toll plazas likely to be discontinued

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may discontinue cash transactions at toll plazas from April 1, 2026, allowing payments only through FASTag or Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

In a press statement, NHAI said the move is aimed at improving lane throughput, reducing congestion at toll plazas, and enhancing transparency in toll collections.

NHAI has already achieved 98% toll transactions through FASTag.

Under the National Highways Fee Rules, vehicles entering a toll plaza without a valid and functional FASTag are charged twice the applicable user fee if they pay in cash. However, highway users who choose to pay via UPI are charged 1.25 times the user fee for their respective vehicle category.

Recently, NHAI also crossed 50 lakh subscribers for its FASTag annual pass, which allows users to make up to 200 toll crossings for ₹3,000 per year. Since its launch on August 15, a total of 26.55 crore transactions have been carried out through these passes.

There are over 1,150 fee plazas on various National Highways and Expressways in the country.