MUMBAI: One of the major cash guzzling industries of the country, toll collection across the numerous highways could soon be completely converted into the digital mode, with National Electronic Toll Collection showing interesting trends in the initial pilot phase. National Payments Corporation of India which is driving the digital retail payments system is giving a big push to encourage as many highways to onboard the system to increase digital payments in the country.“We already have around 14 to 16% of the country’s toll collection onto digital means, we are expecting the number to go up once state highways majorly join the programme,” said Dilip Asbe, chief operating officer, NPCI.While these are still early days of digital payments, initial trends have already started showing attractive numbers. “Around 6 to 7 million transactions are happening per month,” he said.Bankers have told ET that around 4 lakh tags have already been issued to vehicles and truck owners are using it extensively as it helps them monitor the movement of their vehicles better.After demonetisation when the toll plazas were reopened there was a big rush by cars to pay digitally, but now with cash creeping back into the system bankers say that there is a tendency among operators to relapse to cash.They hope the benefits and convenience of digital collections will force these entities to eventually shift to digital. Also with more advanced digital payments solutions like Samsung Pay, BharatQR, radio tag based payments going live digital transactions will pick up. While swiping a card at a toll plaza was not convenient, the latest payment means could actually help boost digital transaction numbers.