To reduce vehicular congestion at toll plazas on National Highways, the Government of India has mandated that all such facilities across the country make toll payments electronic by Dec 1, 2019. With this mandate, all vehicles traveling through toll plazas will have to pay toll charges using an RFID-based technology called FASTag that facilitates automatic deduction of toll charges. The technology is already operational at 407 toll plazas across national and state highways, with more expected to be brought under the program in the coming days.
What Are FASTags?
A FASTag is a simple to use, re-loadable tag which enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets vehicles pass through toll plazas without stopping for manual cash transaction. FASTags are linked to prepaid accounts from which the applicable toll amount is deducted. The tag employs Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology and is affixed on the vehicle’s windscreen after the tag account is activated.
How Can You Buy a FASTag For Your Vehicle?
All major banks in the country are part of the FASTag program as part of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) initiative rolled out by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the guidelines of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL). SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Kotak Mahindra are all part of the program, so you can get your tag by visiting your branch.
What Do You Need to Buy a FASTag?
You will have to provide basic KYC (Know Your Customer) details, including your name, contact number, vehicle registration number and a copy of the registration certificate (RC) while purchasing the tag. You’ll also have to deposit a security amount of Rs. 200 – Rs. 400 depending on the bank and the type of vehicle. The amount will be refunded to you if you close your FASTag account with the bank.
