Union Minister of Transport, Nitin Gadkari, after a recent meeting, stated that FASTag will be mandatory for all vehicles in the country from January 1, 2021. The decision was taken post a discussion held online and the announcement was made by the minister while was addressing at the event.
The central government introduced FASTag in India, in 2016, with an aim to reduce congestion at toll plazas. However, considering the number of FASTags and the number of vehicle owners in the country, the state realised that it was not possible to install them on all vehicles in the expected time. The motive behind the system was to make sure toll payments are collected in a contactless manner across highways in the country. The government had taken necessary steps to expedite the process, however, motorists were hesitant to follow the protocol.
Having said that, the new rule will make sure that the plan is implemented across the country, effective 2021, thereby making up for the time lost during the coronavirus pandemic. Vehicle owners will now be given a period of a few days, and from the new year, it will be mandatory for every vehicle to have the tag.
Adding more, Minister Gadkari stated that the no-contact mode of transactions will only benefit the passengers, both in terms of fuel and time.
The concept of FASTag was introduced in 2016 as a sticker which is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and works as a device, uses radio frequency identification technology. This directly connects to the scanner at the toll, and the money is deducted directly from the account, as a mode of contactless transaction. To ensure this, one needs to link the FASTag to a bank wallet, debit or credit card.
After deducting the toll money from the account, the concerned driver will receive the relevant SMS on their mobile. Once the balance if over in the wallet, one has to recharge after the account until runs out.
The FASTag will be valid for five years, and after completion of which, vehicle owners will have to purchase new FASTags, which can be done from NHAI or 22 different banks. Besides this, it is also available on e-commerce platforms like Paytm, Amazon and Flipkart and also given by Fino Payments Bank and Paytm Payments Bank.
To buy a FASTag, one has to produce these documents
If Fastag is connected to NHAI prepaid wallet, the recharge is done through UPI / Debit Card / Credit Card / NEFT / Net Banking etc. Meanwhile, if there is a FASTag linked to the bank account, the money will be deducted directly from your account. A similar process applies for recharge through a PayTM wallet.
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