What drives daily toll collection via FASTags at ₹119 cr in December? Read on

Toll collection at national and state highways across India in December was at an all-time high of ₹3,679 crore. This means the daily toll collection through FASTag across India was ₹119 crore, reveals the data by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Nearly 98 per cent of the total toll collected through FASTag is attributed to the national highway stretches. The rest of the amount collected through FASTag is attributed to the state highways.

The data also shows that the toll collection via FASTag has increased by ₹502 crore in December, as compared to November 2021. Not only that. The toll collection through FASTag has increased in December by ₹1,375 crore as compared to the same month in 2020 when ₹2,304 crore was collected through the newly implemented digital toll receiving system across India.

There are multiple reasons that have played important roles in increasing the toll amount collected via the FASTag system in December 2022. One of the reasons is the resumption of toll collection in major national highway stretches in Punjab, where transport activity was halted due to the farmers' protest. Another key reason behind the growth in toll collection via FASTag is increased economic activity across the country after the slump due to the pandemic.

The NHAI has been working on several new highway projects, which are opening the opportunity for new transport activities across India. Implementing toll collection through the FASTag system in these stretches is another key reason that is driving the growth of toll collection across the country.

However, with the rising Covid-19 cases across India and a fresh set of curbs being imposed on travel and transport sectors, the toll collection is likely to see a slump in the coming days across India.