Toll plazas on National Highways will no longer be accepting cash from April 10 onwards, according to a statement on Tuesday from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Those who will be paying via UPI (Unified Payments Interface) will have to pay 1.25 times over the toll fee they owe, in an attempt to spur further adoption of the FASTag system. Initially those without the system were to pay double the toll charges in cash.
Reports cited a high ranking NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) official saying that this move was intended to reduce long lines of vehicles at the toll plaza and make highway travel smoother and more hassle-free.
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The FASTag is a Radio Frequency Identification tag that drivers affix to the front of their windshields which facilitates them to pay tolls by driving through a toll plaza without having to make a stop. The required amount is automatically deduced from a savings account attached to the tag.
"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." the notification said
"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," it added.
For a fee of Rs 3,000 per year, users can avail a FASTag Annual Pass for 200 toll crossings across India's national highways. Up to 26.55 crore transactions have been made since the service was unveiled.
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