Strong economy drives NH toll to record 6,640cr in Oct

NEW DELHI: Toll collection on national highways and expressways touched an all-time high of around Rs 6,640 crore in Oct, indicating stronger economic activity and increased movement of vehicles across the country’s highway network.The collection of user fee was around 16% higher than the Rs 5,715 crore recorded in Oct 2025. The previous highest monthly toll revenue was Rs 6,185 crore, collected in May this year. Going by the trend, the total toll collection is projected to be around Rs 74,000 crore, officials said.A significant change was also visible in the mode of payment, with cash collections dropping sharply to barely Rs 4 crore last month from Rs 84 crore in the corresponding month last year. At the same time, payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rose to around Rs 100 crore in Oct, against no such collection a year ago.The sharp decline in cash transactions follows govt directions to move away from cash payments for highway user fees and use FASTag or UPI as the default modes for paying the user charge. Officials said stricter monitoring was being carried out to ensure that cash is completely phased out as a mode of toll payment. “End of cash transaction will eliminate any scope of malpractices. More people are also opting for FASTag Annual Passes, which is a good sign,” said another official. Growing adoption of electronic toll collection has reduced dependence on cash at toll plazas. The rise in UPI payments also indicates the gradual expansion of digital payment options for highway users.