The government has made FASTags mandatory for all the vehicles, private or commercial, from January 15, 2019. If you don’t use FASTag then you will have to pay up twice the normal rate at toll gates across the country. Yes, not using the FASTag method may lead you to pay double.
The initial deadline for the full rollout of FASTag across lanes of national highway toll plazas across the country was December 1, 2019, but it was extended till December 15. Now, the new deadline is January 15, 2020, after the NHAI in a letter to the Road Transport and Highways Ministry requested the rescheduling of the full rollout of the new system mentioning a “supply-deficit” in the market of FASTags.
FASTag Overview
FASTags, the new prepaid rechargeable tags for toll collection, allow automatic payment deduction. It is simple to use, reloadable tag which enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets you drive through NHAI toll plazas without having to stop to pay.
What is FASTag?
FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from your adequately funded prepaid or savings/current account linked to it. But if it is linked to a prepaid account, you need to recharge it as per the usage.
After the tag account gets active you can affix the tag on the windscreen of your vehicle. It enables you to drive through toll plazas, without stopping for cash transactions.
FASTag – How to get it online?
To get FASTag online, you need to install the ‘My FASTag’ app on your smartphone. In the app, you are required to enter your vehicle details and link any of your existing bank accounts. In this case, the toll will be deducted automatically from your linked bank account and there is no need to recharge the tag separately.
You can also buy FASTag via e-commerce portals such as Amazon, Paytm, Airtel Thanks app and more. NHAI Prepaid Wallet is another option. You can select from several payment options like Debit Card, Credit Card, net Banking, UPI, Paytm, Google Pay, and more to add money in your FASTag account.
Besides, there are 27,000 Point-of-Sales set up by 23 banks and the NHAI at Road Transport Authority offices, transport hubs, bank branches, and select petrol pumps from where you can get your FASTags.
Beside, FASTags can also be bought from any toll plaza or issuer agencies. You can also buy the tag from any National Electronic Toll Collection member bank and get yourself registered. You just need a registration certificate of your vehicle, a passport size photo of you, address proof, original as well as a copy of your KYC document along with the vehicle at the POS (Point of Sale)/Sales office.
The issuer bank/agency will charge a one-time joining fee of Rs 200. The FASTag charges and security deposit refund depends upon the type of vehicle. If you are a vehicle owner, you are advised to check fee details on the official website of the issuer agency.
Remember, the inadequate amount in your tag will get your vehicle blacklisted at the toll plaza and again, you may end up paying double.
FASTags: Advantages & Disadvantages
The government is offering 2.5 per cent cashback on toll payments on using FASTag at toll plazas. Besides, the Fastag ensures non-stop movement of vehicles to avoid congestion on roads.
If you think you can use one FASTag for all your vehicles then you are wrong. FASTag is vehicle specific, which means, if it is affixed to a vehicle once, it cannot be transferred to another vehicle. In case you lose it, you will have to call the customer care number of the issuer agency to get your FASTag blocked.
All in all, FASTags would surely make life more convenient. Now it’s time to say goodbye to queues and pay highway toll FAST with FASTags.
Images Related to FASTag on India Content
The India Content website has a good stock of images related to FASTag. The high-quality images are available in three sizes-small, medium and large.
You can purchase various other content images from the https://www.indiacontent.in
