Barrier-free toll booths on national highways by March 2027: Nitin Gadkari
India's Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, announced that all national highway toll booths will transition to a barrier-free electronic system by March 2027. The initiative aims to increase government revenue and reduce fuel waste caused by traffic congestion.
Why it matters
The transition to automated tolling represents a significant infrastructure modernization effort that impacts national logistics and economic efficiency.
Full implementation of electronic toll collection system FASTag will accrue up to ₹25,000 crore per year to the government, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday (September 11, 2026).
The Minister for Road Transport and Highways said all toll booths on national highways will be barrier-free by March 2027.
“When the system will go fully live, then our department alone would deliver a benefit of ₹20,000-25,000 crore per year to the Government of India because of the use of FASags,” Mr. Gadkari said at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai.
FASTags have helped increase the toll booth income by 10%, from about ₹7,000 crore to over ₹82,000 crore now.
The barrier-free toll booths being piloted right now will add another 10 per cent, or ₹7,000-8,000 crore, he said.
Additionally, the operational costs of running a toll booth have reduced to 2-3% from the earlier 12%, he said.
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