Highway users, pay attention! Now if cash is paid at toll, double fine will be imposed, vehicle may also be confiscated!

Toll plaza new rules 2026: If you travel on the highway in your car, then this news is very important for you! The days of paying cash at toll plazas are now completely over, and the new rules of 2026 are so strict that even a small mistake on your part can cost you dearly.

The government has made it clear that now there will be only two ways to pay toll. If you try to give cash in the old fashioned way, your journey may be interrupted midway, and your pocket may also be empty.

So what will happen to the cash on toll now?

First and foremost, cash payment will be completely stopped at any toll plaza on the National Highway from 2026.

• If a driver is caught paying cash at toll, he will be charged double the normal amount of toll.
• For example, if the toll is ₹100, paying in cash will cost you ₹200!
• This rule has been introduced only to eliminate long lines and make the journey faster.

So how to pay toll now? Only these 2 methods will work:

From now on there are only two ways to pay toll:

1. FASTag: This is the easiest way. A sticker is placed on the windscreen of your vehicle and the money is automatically deducted as you pass through the toll plaza. There is no need to stop the car.
2. UPI or Digital Wallet: You can make instant payment through your PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm or any UPI app by scanning the QR code at the toll plaza.

Apart from these two, cash, check or any other method will no longer work.

Even if you don’t have FASTag or your balance is exhausted, you will still be charged double!

This penalty will not be applicable only for giving cash, but also for:

• If you do not have FASTag on your vehicle,
• Or the balance in FASTag is exhausted (Zero Balance),
  Even then you will have to pay double the toll. Also, if you break the rules, your vehicle may be stopped at the toll, which will not only waste your time but will also cause insult.

What’s going to happen next? (barrier-free toll)

In future, the barriers (poles) installed at the toll plaza will also be removed.

• The high-tech cameras and sensors installed above will scan the number plate of your vehicle and automatically deduct the toll.
• You will go at a speed of 80-100 without stopping.
• Having FASTag or UPI will become even more important for this system.

So what should you do and how to avoid this fine?

• Check your FASTag today: Make sure it is working properly.
• Always maintain balance: Before leaving for the journey, check the balance of FASTag once.
• Keep KYC updated: If KYC is not there, get it done immediately.
• Keep UPI app ready: Keep at least one UPI app in your phone.

These small habits can save you from thousands of rupees of fine and unnecessary trouble. Follow the rules and make your journey pleasant!