Story by Team CV

FASTag has been mandatory for all class vehicle owners to get pass-through toll plazas effective December 01, 2019. In simple definition Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that most of us are familiar with or FASTag is a tag you have to stick on the vehicle’s windscreen at the top-left corner to allow your passage through all toll booths across the country.

Commercial vehicles in particular stand to benefit given the long journeys they undertake.

Here’s a quick read through some of the key things that you need to know:

• From December 1, 2019, under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has made FASTag mandatory for all class of vehicles. Toll payments will be collected only through FASTag and vehicles complying will be charged a 2X penalty.
• The one-time joining fee and re-issuance fee of the tag is fixed at Rs.100, including GST depending on the category of vehicle. A security deposit between Rs.200 to Rs.300 is also factored required in. The FASTag comes with a validity of five Years.

How it works?

• The readers fitted in the dedicated ‘ETC’ lanes of plazas will read the unique number of the RFID tag or FASTag on the windshield of the vehicle. The toll charge as per the class of the vehicle will be automatically deducted from the prepaid RFID account of the user which works as an online wallet and can be topped-up. As an introductory offer, a 2.5 per cent cashback will be earned on the registration till March 2020.
• One needs to provide basic KYC details including name, contact number, vehicle’s registration number and a copy of the registration certificate (RC), which will be asked while purchasing the tag. You can also opt to submit the document later.

This is how a registration confirmation looks like.

Things to know before purchasing FASTag

• FASTags are applicable only to the tolls on national highways. For state toll plazas it will take time to catch up due to certain procedures and agreements. By next year the government hopes to include these.
• You can enrol and get FASTag badge put on your vehicles at designated toll tax plaza locations, authorised service stations of your vehicle’s and select banks who will also provide the service.
• Government has also partnered with several banks and financial institutions who will provide Central Clearing House (CCH) services and RFID based FASTag through their franchises at sales counters/points near the toll plazas. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also retails FASTags online on the NHAI, issuer Banks and Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) websites.

On registration, a pdf receipt will be mailed to you and the tag delivered to your doorstep in a period of 7 days.