The central government is preparing to introduce a new automatic toll collection system on expressways and national highways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to start this system on selected routes from March 2026. The proposed system will use special cameras which highways will install. The cameras will capture vehicle number plates through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology. The system will track the distance traveled by the vehicle on the highway. The system will automatically calculate the toll based on vehicle distance which will be deducted from the driver’s linked bank account.
The new method achieves its goal of better toll collection through improved speed and efficiency. The system will reduce toll plaza waiting times which results in shorter travel durations. Drivers may not need to stop at toll booths, which will help in reducing traffic congestion and fuel consumption. The government believes this system will improve transparency and make toll payments more accurate.
FASTag will remain operational because it will not disappear from use. The initial implementation of ANPR and FASTag will operate together according to reports. FASTag will function as a backup system which activates when number plate visibility becomes difficult or cameras fail to read it. The government will start moving towards a camera-based system as its primary system after the system demonstrates successful operations.
Vehicle owners will likely need to ensure that their number plates are properly fitted and clearly visible. The system will use high-security registration plates (HSRP) as essential components.
FASTag is not ending right away because it still operates today. India is developing its future advanced automatic toll system which will provide faster smarter and more convenient highway travel for all users.
