<p>New Delhi: To create a fully digital National Highway tolling ecosystem, the NHAI is planning to discontinue cash payments at highway toll plazas from April 1. </p><p>Once implemented, the national highway commuters have to use only digital modes such as FASTag or <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/technology/phonepe-launches-biometric-authentication-feature-for-upi-transactions-3905278">UPI </a>for toll payments. This means, there are no cash lanes at toll plazas.</p><p>The proposed measure is aimed at consolidating the gains achieved in Electronic Toll Collection and strengthening the efficiency & reliability of National Highway fee plaza operations, the National Highway Authority of India said in a statement.</p><p>The transition will help to enhance 'Ease of Commuting' for National Highway users by improving lane throughput, reducing congestion at fee plazas and bringing greater consistency and transparency in toll transactions.</p><p>A complete transition to digital only mode of payment will strengthen operational efficiency, improve traffic management, minimise delays and enhance overall National Highway user experience at over 1,150 fee plazas on various National Highways and Expressways in the country.</p><p>In the past few years, over 98 per cent penetration of FASTag has significantly transformed toll collection practices in the country. At present, an overwhelming proportion of toll transactions are processed electronically through RFID-enabled FASTag affixed to vehicles, facilitating seamless and contactless movement across toll plazas, the NHAI said.</p><p>In addition, UPI payment facilities have been operationalized at the National Highway toll plazas, ensuring availability of instant and accessible digital payment options for National Highway commuters nationwide.</p>.NOC for vehicles only after clearing pending toll dues, Union Ministry says.<p>As per National Highway fee rules, vehicles entering a toll plaza without a valid, functional FASTag are charged twice the applicable user fee, if the fee payment is made in cash. Whereas National Highway users who opt to pay via UPI are charged only 1.25 times of the user fee for the applicable vehicle category.</p><p>These initiatives have collectively advanced the objective of reducing dependency on cash transactions and digitizing the tolling framework.</p><p>Plaza-level assessments indicate that cash-based payments contribute to congestion, increased waiting times during peak traffic periods and transaction-related disputes, said the statement.</p>
<p>New Delhi: To create a fully digital National Highway tolling ecosystem, the NHAI is planning to discontinue cash payments at highway toll plazas from April 1. </p><p>Once implemented, the national highway commuters have to use only digital modes such as FASTag or <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/technology/phonepe-launches-biometric-authentication-feature-for-upi-transactions-3905278">UPI </a>for toll payments. This means, there are no cash lanes at toll plazas.</p><p>The proposed measure is aimed at consolidating the gains achieved in Electronic Toll Collection and strengthening the efficiency & reliability of National Highway fee plaza operations, the National Highway Authority of India said in a statement.</p><p>The transition will help to enhance 'Ease of Commuting' for National Highway users by improving lane throughput, reducing congestion at fee plazas and bringing greater consistency and transparency in toll transactions.</p><p>A complete transition to digital only mode of payment will strengthen operational efficiency, improve traffic management, minimise delays and enhance overall National Highway user experience at over 1,150 fee plazas on various National Highways and Expressways in the country.</p><p>In the past few years, over 98 per cent penetration of FASTag has significantly transformed toll collection practices in the country. At present, an overwhelming proportion of toll transactions are processed electronically through RFID-enabled FASTag affixed to vehicles, facilitating seamless and contactless movement across toll plazas, the NHAI said.</p><p>In addition, UPI payment facilities have been operationalized at the National Highway toll plazas, ensuring availability of instant and accessible digital payment options for National Highway commuters nationwide.</p>.NOC for vehicles only after clearing pending toll dues, Union Ministry says.<p>As per National Highway fee rules, vehicles entering a toll plaza without a valid, functional FASTag are charged twice the applicable user fee, if the fee payment is made in cash. Whereas National Highway users who opt to pay via UPI are charged only 1.25 times of the user fee for the applicable vehicle category.</p><p>These initiatives have collectively advanced the objective of reducing dependency on cash transactions and digitizing the tolling framework.</p><p>Plaza-level assessments indicate that cash-based payments contribute to congestion, increased waiting times during peak traffic periods and transaction-related disputes, said the statement.</p>
