Govt eases non-FASTag penalty from this date: But there’s a catch!

Starting November 15, 2025, the toll collection system on highways will see a major overhaul as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is set to implement a revised fee structure across all National Highways. The update aims to boost the use of digital payments, reduce congestion at toll plazas, and promote transparency in toll operations.

Under the new system, vehicles without valid FASTags will no longer be uniformly penalised with double tolls. Instead, MoRTH has introduced a more flexible, tiered payment structure.

Drivers who continue to pay in cash will still face the double toll charge, but those opting for digital methods such as

UPI or other approved platforms will now pay 1. 25 times the standard toll fee. Currently, if your FASTag isn’t working, whether it’s due to insufficient balance, a technical glitch, or the absence of a valid tag: you’re required to pay double the toll amount. The revised framework seeks to correct that. FASTag users will continue to pay the base toll, cash payers will still be charged double, and digital non-FASTag users will pay 1. 25 times the standard amount.

Right now, if your FASTag isn’t working or you don’t have one, you have to pay double the toll. So, for example, a Rs 100 toll ends up costing Rs 200. But under the new system, drivers without a valid or working FASTag can simply pay through UPI instead. In that case, they’ll pay Rs 125 for a Rs 100 toll: which includes a small Rs 25 penalty.