From April 1, 2026, the Indian highways landscape shall soon turn into a revolutionary change. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), a 100 percent cashless tolling system is slated for national status. The initiative will be about no longer requiring physical toll booths at all.
Toll Plaza Era Comes to an End
Toll plazas have symbolized long lines and fuel squandered for decades. The delay was largely solved with FASTag, but the novel GNSS and ANPR technologies will one day eliminate the entire need for vehicles to come to a stop.
How the New System Works
Tolling-with GNSS (Satellite-Based): Your vehicle's movements are tracked via satellite. The system reads off the exact distance you’ve traveled on a particular highway and adjusts the fee accordingly.
ANPR (Camera-Based) Tolling: High-speed cameras placed at the gates and exit locations read your vehicle's number plate. The connected bank account or prepaid wallet then pays automatically.
Key Benefits for Commuters
- Pay-Per-Kilometer: If you use a section of the road, you’ll no longer pay a flat rate. You only pay for the exact distance traveled between entry and exit points.
- No Wait Time: With no physical barriers, traffic will run at highway speeds, saving travel time and significantly reducing carbon emissions.
- Saving on Fuel: No more idling at toll booths — increased fuel efficiency for all vehicles.
What You Have to Do Toward April 1
For an easy changeover, a few things should be on the radar for all car owners:
- KYC Compliant: Make sure your vehicle’s registration and linked bank accounts are fully KYC compliant.
- Number Plate Requirements: Vehicles should have HSRP which can be easily seen through an ANPR camera.
- GPS Trackers: Most new cars have GPS installed onboard. But the government may have guidelines available for older cars to make use of GNSS, to support use of this system.
Future For FASTag
As FASTag will probably remain a backup payment method, the government intends to phase out the physical "barrier" aspect of FASTags in favor of Free Flow Tolling.
