FASTag Toll Payment Rule From April 1, 2026: National Highways Go Cashless, What Vehicle Owners Need to Know

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

From
1
April
2026,
vehicles
across
India
will
be
required
to
pay
tolls
cashless
at
toll
plazas
from
April
1,
as
the
Union
government
plans
to
stop
accepting
physical
money.
Officials
say
this
change
is
part
of
the
Toll
Plaza
Rules
2026,
aimed
at
speeding
up
toll
collection,
reducing
long
queues,
and
cutting
congestion
at
busy
highway
points.

Currently,
many
drivers
still
pay
cash,
slowing
lanes
and
wasting
fuel.
Under
the
new
system,
all
toll
payment
through
FASTag
or
UPI
will
be
mandatory.
Vehicles
will
pass
toll
plazas
in
seconds
through
FASTag
toll
payment
deductions
or
UPI
scans,
eliminating
the
need
for
cash
transactions.

Toll
Payment
Through
FASTag
or
UPI:
How
It
Works

According
to
the
updated
Toll
Plaza
Rules
2026,
motorists
can
make
toll
payment
through
FASTag
or
UPI
at
every
national
toll
plaza.
FASTag
toll
payment
allows
automatic
deduction
at
the
barrier,
while
UPI
scans
provide
an
easy
alternative
for
cashless
transactions.
Every
payment
will
be
recorded
digitally,
giving
users
a
clear
record
of
highway
expenses.

The
government
expects
that
moving
cashless
at
toll
plazas
from
April
1
will
reduce
traffic
congestion,
as
drivers
no
longer
need
to
fumble
for
cash
or
wait
for
change.
Toll
staff
can
manage
lanes
more
efficiently,
with
fewer
errors
and
disputes
over
payments.

Central
Road
Transport
and
Highways
Ministry
Secretary
V
Umashankar
said
India’s
digital
economy
is
growing
rapidly,
and
the
public
response
to
FASTag
toll
payment
and
toll
payment
through
FASTag
or
UPI
was
positive.
This
encouraged
authorities
to
adopt
a
fully
cashless
model
under
Toll
Plaza
Rules
2026.
From
1
April,
all
tolls
will
be
collected
digitally
via
FASTag
or
UPI,
marking
a
major
shift
in
how
national
highways
operate.