Starting April 1st, the method of paying toll tax will change completely. The central government has decided to completely ban cash transactions at toll plazas, which means you will no longer be able to pay tolls by withdrawing money from your own pocket. Following this change, toll...

National Desk: From April 1st, the method of paying toll tax is going to change completely. The central government has now decided to completely ban cash transactions at toll plazas, which simply means that you will no longer be able to pay toll by taking out money from your pocket. After this change, toll payment will only be possible through digital means like FASTag or UPI. This move by the government is a major effort to move the country towards a digital economy and make travel hassle-free.

V. Umashankar, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, stated in an interview that India is rapidly moving towards a digital economy. Previously, UPI payments were introduced at toll plazas, which were positively received by travelers. Now, the government has decided that cash payments will no longer be accepted at any toll plaza after April 1st. From that date, only FASTag and UPI will be valid.

Cash lanes will be completely removed from toll plazas.
Once this decision is implemented, cash lanes will be completely removed from toll plazas across the country. Currently, it has been observed in many places that despite having FASTag, people continue to use cash lanes, leading to long queues, especially during festivals and busy times. Eliminating cash payments will eliminate manual collection and significantly reduce traffic congestion. The government believes that cashless tolling will make the entire system faster, more transparent, and reliable.

Frequently stopping and re-starting vehicles at toll plazas increases fuel consumption. Drivers also face difficulties applying the brakes repeatedly. According to V. Umashankar, stopping every time wastes both time and diesel, which increases significantly during long-distance journeys. Digital payments will allow vehicles to proceed without stopping, significantly reducing this loss.

The government's decision to introduce a multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling system
is also being seen as a preparation for another major system to be implemented in the future. In the near future, the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling system will be introduced in the country. Under this system, there will be no barriers at toll plazas, and vehicles will be able to pass through without stopping. The toll fee will be automatically deducted using FASTag and vehicle identification technology.

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