Toll plazas to go cashless from April 1:Payments will be accepted only via FASTag or UPI; trials underway at 25 tollgates

From April 1, toll plazas across the country will become completely cashless. Once the new rules come into effect, vehicle owners will be able to pay toll charges only through FASTag or UPI, with cash payments being discontinued. This was announced by V. Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, during an interview with TV news channel Aaj Tak. He confirmed that the government has decided to fully eliminate cash transactions at toll booths. The primary aim of this move is to reduce long queues, ease traffic congestion, and make highway travel smoother. As part of this initiative, a ‘no-stop tolling’ pilot project is currently being tested at 25 toll plazas across the country. However, an official notification regarding the nationwide rollout is still awaited. Ending Traffic Jams and Saving Time Although FASTag is already mandatory, cash payments are still accepted at many toll plazas, leading to traffic bottlenecks. Vehicles that do not use digital payment often cause delays, resulting in congestion and time loss. Once cash payments are stopped, vehicles will no longer need to halt at toll booths, significantly improving traffic flow. Three Major Reasons Behind the Decision The government aims to achieve the following objectives through this move: Moving Towards Barrier-Free Tolling Eliminating cash payments is the first step toward implementing the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system. Under this model, highways will have no physical barriers or booths. Vehicles will continue at normal speeds, and toll charges will be automatically deducted using cameras and sensor-based technology. Important Advice for Vehicle Owners Drivers are advised to ensure their FASTag accounts remain active and sufficiently funded. Those without FASTag should make sure UPI payment is enabled on their smartphones. Once the new rule is implemented, vehicles arriving at toll plazas without digital payment options may face penalties or denial of entry. Detailed guidelines are expected to be announced soon.