Big Relief For Car, Jeep & Van Owners! Govt Launches Rs 3,000 FASTag Annual Pass - Check Details

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a FASTag-based Annual Pass for private car, jeep, and van users, aimed at reducing frequent recharges and easing toll payments on national highways. The scheme came into effect on August 15 following a June 17 gazette notification.

Under the new provision, non-commercial vehicles can avail the pass by paying ₹3,000, which will allow either one year of travel or up to 200 crossings at National Highway (NH) and National Expressway (NE) fee plazas, whichever comes earlier. In a closed tolling system, one entry and exit will be treated as a single crossing.

The scheme, however, will not apply to State Highways and State Expressways. The Centre has said it will provide technical support to states that wish to implement a similar facility. Officials noted that the move is expected to benefit frequent highway users, particularly those commuting for work or education, and reduce the hassle of multiple recharges for small-distance commuters.

Also Read: FASTag Annual Pass Sees Over 5 Lakh Users In First Four Days of Launch | Republic World

Alongside the Annual Pass, the ministry has also revised the method for calculating toll charges on stretches with major structures like bridges or tunnels. As per a July 1 notification, the toll will now be determined by either adding ten times the length of such structures to the highway section or five times the total length of the highway section, whichever is lower. This step is aimed at rationalising fee structures across the network and bringing greater transparency in toll collection.

The introduction of the Annual Pass is also seen as part of a broader strategy to make FASTag-based tolling more user-friendly. With nearly all highway toll plazas already migrated to electronic collection, officials believe such measures will encourage more citizens to adopt cashless travel and cut waiting times at plazas.

Announcing the measures in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the reforms are part of ongoing efforts to streamline toll collection and make travel more convenient for non-commercial vehicle users.