India Ends Cash Tolls on Highways from April 2026

India's national highways will transition to fully digital toll collection starting April 10, 2026, as the government eliminates cash payments at toll plazas nationwide. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced the change through a gazette notification on April 2, aiming to streamline traffic and curb longstanding issues with manual transactions.

Under the new rules, all vehicles must pay tolls using FASTag, a radio frequency identification sticker linked to a bank account or digital wallet, or through unified payments interface platforms such as UPI. The National Highways Authority of India has emphasized that FASTag remains the preferred method, with overhead scanners automatically deducting fees as vehicles pass through toll lanes. For drivers without a functional FASTag, UPI offers an immediate alternative via QR codes at plazas, though it incurs a 1.25 times surcharge on the standard toll. Vehicles attempting to bypass payment without these options will trigger an electronic notice sent to the registered owner via SMS, email, or online portal.

The policy also ends the practice of toll exemptions based on identity cards, particularly for government officials in...