New ₹3,000 FASTag-Based Annual Pass Promises Convenience, But Leaves Many Questions Unanswered

In a transformative step towards hassle-free highway travel, the Government of India is introducing a FASTag-based Annual Pass priced at Rs 3,000, effective from August 15, 2025. Valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips—whichever comes first—the pass is exclusively designed for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon via a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Gadkari stated that the Annual Pass will enable seamless and cost-effective travel across National Highways throughout the country. He further informed that a dedicated link for activation and renewal of the pass will soon be made available on the Rajmarg Yatra App as well as the official websites of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Highlighting the policy’s broader objectives, he added that the initiative aims to address long-standing concerns about toll plazas located within a 60 km range and intends to simplify toll payments through a single, affordable transaction. According to Gadkari, this move is expected to reduce wait times, ease congestion, and minimize disputes at toll plazas, thereby delivering a faster and smoother travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners across the country.

Social Media Users Raise Questions

However, following the announcement, several users on social media raised questions seeking clarity on the mechanics of the pass. A user by the handle @Dhanajay_Tech posted, “So travelling from Mumbai to Delhi will be one trip? Or every toll between Mumbai and Delhi will be counted as one trip which will be Rs 15 on each toll passed while travelling? Is this only for open toll systems or is it applicable for closed toll systems as well?”

Similarly, another user @Pratap_btp asked, “What counts as a single trip—crossing a toll or completing a journey? Are city tolls included in the pass? Any real savings? Is there a calculator? Does it work with existing FASTag? What is the refund or dispute policy? Without clear answers, this feels like just another flashy announcement.” Another user also expressed confusion, questioning whether a single toll counted as one trip, whether a 60 km stretch on the National Highway was the benchmark, or if a trip was defined by highway entry and exit.

Currently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is responsible for the maintenance and management of over 70,000 km of the National Highway network out of the total 1,50,000 km. As per the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, user fees (tolls) are collected on about 45,000 km of highways and expressways, through approximately 1,200 toll plazas, managed either by NHAI directly or through private concessionaires.

Since February 2021, it has been mandatory for all highway toll payments to be made via FASTag, with a 100 percent penalty for cash or non-FASTag transactions. As of March 2024, over 98 percent of toll payments at these plazas are made through FASTag, underlining the system’s widespread adoption.