Cash transactions at NH fee plazas may end from April 1

New Delhi: Commuters utilizing nationalist highways whitethorn not beryllium capable to wage idiosyncratic fees successful currency and person to trust wholly connected integer outgo modes - FASTag and UPI - astatine toll plazas. NHAI said it was "contemplating" wholly discontinuing currency transactions astatine NH interest plazas crossed the state from April 1. According to existent norms, vehicles passing a toll plaza without a valid, functional FASTag are charged doubly the applicable toll if the outgo is successful cash. Those who opt to wage via UPI are charged 1.25 times the idiosyncratic interest for the applicable conveyance category. "The outgo done UPI was introduced successful Nov arsenic an alternate to discourage currency payment, which was past astir 2% of each toll collection. By now, currency payments person dropped to astir 1%, which is fractional of what was collected successful currency conscionable months back.

All toll plazas person a UPI strategy for making payments," an authoritative said. TOI has learned that portion currency payments are apt to beryllium disallowed from April, govt is moving to benignant retired the contented of penalties for overloading that are presently paid mostly successful cash. "A connection is nether information for rationalising and facilitating cashless overloading punishment payments," the authoritative added. In a statement, NHAI said, "The projected measurement is aimed astatine consolidating the gains achieved successful Electronic Toll Collection and strengthening the ratio and reliability of interest plaza operations. The modulation volition assistance to heighten 'Ease of Commuting' for NH users by improving lane throughput, reducing congestion astatine interest plazas and bringing greater consistency and transparency successful toll transactions." It besides said that plaza-level assessments indicated that cash-based payments contributed to congestion, accrued waiting times during highest postulation periods and transaction-related disputes.