New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) The number of motorists using FASTag annual passes on highways has shot up to 19 per cent of all toll pass traffic, which represents a six percentage point growth in the last six months from around 13 per cent in December 2025, according to figures compiled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The total vehicle trips through toll gates in June this year touched 44.4 crore, in which annual passes accounted for 8.4 crore. The 36 crore trips cumulatively raised Rs 7,214 crore during the month.

During June 2025, FASTag reported 38.6 crore trips, raising Rs 6,973 crore. While the cumulative volume growth stood at 15 per cent, the value growth stood at 3.5 percent. The slower pace of collections was due to the increased use of annual passes, the data showed.

The overall impact on toll gate collections is around 10 per cent, which is partially compensated with annual pass revenue, making the effective loss in the range of 7-8 per cent.

The annual pass, launched on August 15 for Rs 3,075, grants 200 highway trips a year. At around Rs 15.40 a trip this is much lower than regular toll rates.

The annual pass is available only for private passenger vehicles, which constitute around 40 per cent of all toll gate traffic. Their share in revenue works out to 25 per cent, lowering the impact of the annual pass on revenue for toll road operators. Commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and vans have to pay a higher toll.

The FASTag annual pass is a convenient option for regular travellers on specific highways or expressways. Intended to offer unlimited travel on specified toll roads, it charges once for the entire year to eliminate the need for per-trip charges.

With FASTag becoming the unavoidable norm at most toll plazas throughout the country, the annual pass provides greater convenience and economic benefits to high-frequency users.

–IANS

sps/na