New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) More than 40 lakh FASTag annual passes have been sold within few months, with adoption touching nearly 20 per cent of car users — a testament to the fact that affordability and convenience can go hand in hand, the government said on Wednesday.

Launched on August 15, 2025, now a user just needs to pay Rs 3,000, to get 200 toll trips or one full year of travel, whichever comes first, across 1,159 toll plazas nationwide.

According to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, relief is being felt by frequent highway users in other parts of the country as well.

For many, the annual pass has not only reduced daily travel costs but has also made regular commutes stress-free.

“I have to visit Chandigarh on regular basis. Earlier I had to spent overall Rs 150 for a round trip. But after making the yearly annual pass my cost has been reduced to just Rs 30, which is great relief for me,” said a Haryana resident, who lives in Yamuna Nagar.

Notably, the annual pass has turned unpredictable monthly toll expenses into a fixed, stress-free cost, giving daily commuters certainty, savings, and smoother travel throughout the year, without worrying much about constantly recharging their FASTag.

According to the ministry, over 15 lakh UPI transactions were recorded at toll plazas, totalling Rs 19.44 crore, between November 15 and December 10, 2025.

Moreover, cash collection has dropped by 25 per cent, easing congestion and boosting transparency. Currently, 98 per cent of vehicles already use FASTag, and the remaining gap is steadily closing, not just through penalties, but through user-friendly incentives, said the ministry.

The ministry’s updated rule ensures that when a road is being upgraded from 2 lanes with paved shoulders to 4, 6, or more lanes, users need to pay only 50 per cent of the earlier toll until the work is completed.

–IANS

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