The NHAI has launched a nationwide initiative to modernise public toilets at toll plazas with standardised designs, IoT-based monitoring, performance-linked maintenance and universal accessibility, aiming to improve hygiene, commuter convenience and service quality across the national highway network
QR code-based payments have been introduced at 19 toll plazas on Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road, enabling digital transactions alongside FASTag, as part of the Centre’s push for cashless toll collection and improved traffic flow.
NHAI has raised the FASTag Annual Pass fee from ₹3,000 to ₹3,075 for FY 2026–27, effective April 1. The pass, valid for one year or 200 toll crossings, simplifies travel on over 1,150 national highway plazas
All toll plazas on Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road will go fully cashless from April 1, with payments accepted only through FASTag or UPI. Cash transactions will be discontinued at all 19 interchanges managed by HGCL.
Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited is installing booster lanes at ORR toll plazas to ease Sankranthi traffic. FASTag users can pass without stopping, and authorities expect smoother journeys. R&B Minister requests toll-free travel between Hyderabad and Vijayawada during festival days.
There were reports that a satellite-based tolling system would be launched from May 1, 2025, and will replace the existing FASTag-based toll collection system. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued clarification
Thousands of vehicles, predominantly from Andhra Pradesh, are making their way back to the city after celebrating the festive holidays in their hometowns.
According to an official statement, the detailed SOPs include guidelines for NHAI field offices to ensure strict implementation and adherence by toll-collecting agencies to manage staff and road users
While at many places, farmers took over toll plazas not allowing authorities to collect fees from commuters, at other places toll employees themselves halted the process in view of the protest
