MUMBAI: In a significant step to incentivize digital payments and eliminate cash transactions at the user fee plazas on National Highways for Non-FASTag users, the Government of India has amended National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, as per a press release by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Under the new rule, vehicles entering a fee plaza without a valid, functional FASTag will be charged twice the applicable user fee if the fee payment is made in cash. The users who choose to pay online at the toll plaza will be charged less than double the applicable fee for the relevant category.
"Such users who opt to pay the fee via the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), will be charged only 1.25 times the applicable user fee for that category of the vehicle. For example, if a vehicle needs to pay a user fee of Rs. 100 through valid FASTag, the fee will be Rs. 200 if paid in cash and Rs. 125, if paid via UPI.
This amendment aims to strengthen fee collection process, enhance transparency in toll collection and promote ease of commuting for the National Highway users. This notification will come into effect from November 15, 2025," the ministry stated.
The ministry said that the latest amendment to the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, reflects the Government of India's commitment to leveraging technology for efficient toll collection and reducing congestion at the toll plazas. "The revised rules will encourage the adoption of digital payments, enhance transparency in toll operations, and improve the overall user experience on National Highways," the release noted.