FASTag has become mandatory for every four-wheeler in India from February 15. If a vehicle does not possess the FASTag sticker, the commuter will be liable to pay a heavy fine. “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided that all lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as FASTag lane of the fee plaza w.e.f midnight of 15th/16th February 2021, a government statement read.

“Therefore, as per NH Fee Rules 2008, any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional FASTag entering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category,” the statement further added.

For
the benefit of highway commuters, the National Highway Authority of India
(NHAI) removed the minimum threshold for the FASTag wallet to avoid delays
and ensure constant movement at the electronic toll plaza. This means that a
commuter will be allowed to travel even if the FASTag wallet balance is zero.

FASTag
is an electronic toll collection mechanism aimed at saving time and engaging in
cashless toll payments.

FASTag is
a sticker that works on the principle of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology and is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle. It is connected to
a prepaid account from which the required toll is deducted on every journey.

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FASTag
will remain valid for five years and can be recharged as per requirement.

Currently, over 240 toll plazas across the
national highways will operate via FASTag.

Many Point
of Sale (POS) locations have been set up at toll plazas that will assist in creating
FASTag accounts and purchasing the stickers. The accounts can be topped up via
payments through cheque or online via debit card, credit card, NEFT, RTGS or through
net banking.

NHAI has made the provision of bank neutral Indian Highways Management Company
Limited (IHCML) tags for easier payments. The account can be recharged up
to Rs one lakh.

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In case of
an incorrect deduction, the user will need to contact the customer care service
where the report will be registered and reviewed.

The Issuer
Agency will address other queries such as damage of FASTag sticker.

If a
customer is applying for a FASTag, they must have the following documents
handy:

1.
Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle.

2. Passport size photograph of the vehicle owner

3. KYC documents as per the category of the vehicle owner
(Individual / corporate):

4. PAN
Card/Passport/Voter ID Card

5. Aadhar Card (with address)