ALERT! No FASTag on windshield? Get ready to pay double; Know why?

ALERT! Do you also keep your FASTag in your car dashboard, wallet or hold it in your hand instead of sticking it on the car’s windshield? 

If you are really doing this,then please be alert as you might soon face penalties from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) due to their updated regulations. 

Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all toll collection agencies and concessionaires. 

This measure is aimed at addressing delays caused at toll plazas due to the absence of FASTag, which in turn affects other motorists.

What is NHAI’s new guidelines?

According to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI’s) newly issued guidelines, those who do not affix their FASTag to the inside of the front windshield will now face double toll fees. 

This measure aims to prevent drivers from intentionally avoiding toll payments by keeping their FASTag in their wallets or holding it in their hands, as observed on some highways. 

Additionally, those who fail to comply may be blacklisted, as per the NHAI. 

“Deliberate non-affixation of FASTag on the windscreen leads to unnecessary delays at the toll plazas causing inconvenience to the fellow National Highway users,” NHAI said in a statement.

NHAI’s Toll Fees

Currently, FASTag, an electronic toll collection system achieved a penetration rate of approximately 98% and serves over 8 crore users. Toll fees are currently collected at about 1,000 toll plazas across 45,000 kilometers of national highways and expressways throughout the country.

Since February 2021, FASTag has been required for paying user fees at national highway toll plazas. By March 2024, over 98% of these toll payments will be made using FASTag.