NHAI increases rate of the FASTag Annual pass: What has changed?

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has revised the rate for FASTag Annual Pass for the upcoming financial year 2026-27. According to an order issued on March 12, the non-commercial vehicle users will have to pay Rs. 3075, as against the earlier rate of Rs. 3000, for a pass from April 1. The annual Pass was introduced last year on August 15 in order to give relief to the public from high toll charges and enhance ease of commuting. Under this system, a person who owns a vehicle (Car, Jeep and Van) registered for non-commercial purpose and has a functional FASTag is eligible for the pass. It will be valid for one year or for two hundred crossings through any fee plaza on a national highway, irrespective of the fee leviable at each fee plaza. A FASTag Annual Pass can be bought from Rajmargyatra mobile application or NHAI website. The increase in the rate is in line with the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which mandates that the amount of annual pass will be revised every year. ## How many road users have annual pass? According to the data available with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), over 50 lakh national highway users are currently using the annual pass for tolling. To give this number a context, more than one-fourth or around 28% of total car transactions (for non-commercial vehicles) recorded on the National Highway network are now being carried out through the FASTag Annual Pass. The data further shows that a total of 11.86 Crore FASTags have been issued since its inception in 2016. Out of this, about 5.9 crore FASTags are active across the country and used for electronic toll transactions at National Highway Fee Plazas. More than 98% of user fee on National Highways is collected through FASTag. Which are the top fee plazas for Annual Pass usage? According to MoRTH, Bijwasan Fee Plaza on the Delhi-Gurugram border records the highest usage of the Annual Pass, with around 57% of total car crossings using it. This is followed by Mundka Toll Plaza, a key toll collection point on Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) in Delhi, where nearly 53% of non-commercial vehicle crossings are using the Annual Pass. Similarly, about 53% of non-commercial vehicles passing through Jhinjholi Fee Plaza on the Sonipat-Bawana Highway (NH-334P) near Delhi are also using the FASTag Annual Pass. The region-wise data shows that Chandigarh is on top in terms of annual pass usage, accounting for 14% of total Annual Pass transactions across the country. This is followed by Tamil Nadu at 12.3% and Delhi at 11.5%. Until January 2026, FASTag Annual Pass had recorded over 26.55 crore transactions since its launch on August 15, 2025. Are all toll plazas covered under the pass? No. It is valid only at about 1150 fee plazas on National Highways and National Expressways. At fee plazas on Expressways, State Highways (SH), etc. managed by State Governments or local bodies, the FASTag will operate as a regular FASTag, and applicable user fee charges will apply. Is the pass mandatory? No. The existing FASTag ecosystem continues to operate for users who do not opt for the Annual Pass. Once the Annual Pass completes either 200 trips or one year from the date of activation, it will automatically revert to a regular FASTag. However, the user may re-purchase the Annual Pass once the 200-trip limit is exhausted, even if the one-year validity period has not yet ended. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More