Monthly revenues have surpassed this level consistently in every month of 2023 up to June. This signifies the highest toll collection ever achieved by the state-owned highway developer NHAI using FASTag.

NHAI collected, ₹4,314 crore, ₹4,554 crore and ₹4,349 crore as toll from vehicles using the FASTag in the months of April, May and June, 2023 respectively. This is higher than average monthly fee collection through FASTags for 2022-23 which stood at RS 3,841 crore.

The average monthly fee collection through FASTags for the April-June, quarter stood at ₹4,406 crore while it remained at ₹4,083 crore for the January-March quarter of 2023.

“User fee collection at fee plazas on National Highways has improved considerably upon implementation of FASTag Programme in the country. The FASTag Collection on fee plazas of National Highways on 29.04.2023 was ₹162.10 Crore,” a government statement said.

One of the resons for an increase in toll collection on NHs from FASTag is the rise in a number of toll plazas in the country. Total number of fee plazas started in Financial Year 2022-23 stood at 112 under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Fee plazas are constructed during the execution of project and put to commercial use after issuance of Provision Completion Certificate, the government statement said.

Encouraged by positive response on FASTag adoption and rise on toll collection on NHs, the government has now started work on implanting satellite-based toll programme in the country that would also eliminate the need for toll plazas all together.

The government has appointed a consultant to provide advisory services on implementation of new technologies like Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based barrier less free flow tolling.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has the capacity to retrieve the positioning of the vehicle on the National Highway and calculates the user fee based upon the distance travelled.

Updated: 05 Aug 2023, 05:13 PM IST