Author: Dhruvaksh Saha 
Publication: Business-Standard.com
Date: January 24, 2023
URL:      https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/fastag-collections-hit-rs-50k-crore-up-46-year-on-year-in-2022-123012401078_1.html

Monthly toll collection put at approx Rs 4200 crore, signalling stronger adoption of electronic toll collection

Toll collections at national and state highways through FASTag touched Rs 50,855 crore in 2022, the highest yearly figure and 46 per cent more than 2021.

FASTag collections in December were aproximately Rs 4,167 crore, and December 24 saw the highest-ever single day collection at Rs 144 crore,

Electronic toll collections in the previous year were Rs 34,778 crore, according to data released by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

“Similarly, the number of FASTag transactions also witnessed a growth of approximately 48 per cent in 2022 as compared to that in 2021. The number of FASTag transactions in 2021 and 2022 was 219 crores and 324 crores respectively,” the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said.

Collections in 2022 averaged approximately Rs 4,200 crore each month, marking the spread of FASTag adoption since the technology was mandated in 2019. In March 2022, monthly collections crossed Rs 4,000 crore for the first time.

As many as 6.4 crore FASTags have been issued and the number of FASTag-enabled fee plazas across India grew to 1,181 in 2022 from 922 in 2021, MoRTH said.

With increasing length of highways and greater techniology adoption, toll income is poised to grow substantially over the coming years, according to experts. Union minister Nitin Gadkari has claimed that he aims to increase annual toll collections to Rs 1.4 trillion over the next two fiscal years.

"Deployment of Electronic Toll Collection system at various fee plazas along National Highways has brought transparency in the system and enabled correct valuation of road assets which has encouraged more investors to invest in the highway infrastructure of the country, particularly, in asset recycling," MoRTH said.