No cash payments at toll plazas from 10 April:Rule applies to vehicles plying on national highways; citizens can pay only via FASTag UPI

In a gazette notification, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has said that cash payments would be discontinued at toll plazas on national highways from 10 April, 2026. Consequently, payments can only be made via FASTag or UPI. This may create inconvenience for users without digital payment options. Although, a senior NHAI official said that the move is aimed at reducing long queues at toll gates and make highway travel smoother for commuters. FASTag annual pass gets costlier The National Highways Authority of India had earlier increased FASTag annual pass prices by 2.5%. The pass now costs ₹3,075 instead of ₹3,000. UPI payments to cost 1.25x more than toll fee on NHs The ministry also said that in cases where a vehicle enters a fee plaza without a valid FASTag, users can still pay via Unified Payment Interface (UPI), but at a higher charge of 1.25 times the applicable toll fee. “If the user of a vehicle enters a fee plaza without a FASTag or a valid functional FASTag, as the case may be, and opts to pay fee through the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), he shall pay 1.25 times of the user fee applicable to that category of vehicle in accordance with the provisions of sub-rule (2) of rule 4.”
“Provided that if the owner or driver of the vehicle does not opt to pay a fee in the manner specified under this rule, such vehicle shall be dealt in accordance with rule 14,” the notification said. There are over 1,150 fee plazas on various National Highways and Expressways in the country. Vehicle prices rise Prices of commercial and passenger vehicles had also increased by 2–3% from 1 April. Buyers who booked vehicles earlier but were not billed before 31 March would have to pay the revised rates.