Pay Double/Triple Toll If You Don’t Have FASTag From Today; No Cash Will Be Allowed Across India

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) have finalised the extended deadline for all four-wheelers on Indian roads to compulsorily switch to FASTags.

The ministry has announced to put into effect, all lanes of fee plazas on National Highways as ‘FASTag lanes’ from February 15 or 16, 2021 midnight.

 This means, starting these dates, no four-wheeler vehicle will be allowed to pay cash on highway fee plazas at the nominal rates, shall they choose to pay the fee via cash.

There will be a 100% shift towards collection of toll charges on national highways through FASTag, with a fee charged twice or thrice the nominal price, if the rider chooses to pay via cash.

The finalized deadlines for 100% shift/implementation of FASTags have been delayed repeatedly. However, the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari confirmed yesterday that the date shall no longer be extended further.

Let’s learn everything you need to know about this.

FASTag Compulsory From Feb 15

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had notified all  four-wheelers on Indian roads to compulsorily have FASTags, effective January 1st, 2021.

The Ministry also stated, “making FASTag mandatory to be available by January 1, 2021 in old vehicles also i.e. M and N category of motor vehicles (four wheelers) sold before December 1, 2017 through amendments in CMVR, 1989?.

Category ‘M’ means all vehicles with at least four wheels used for the carrying passengers, while ‘N’ vehicles having at least four wheels used for the carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to the goods subject to conditions.

The government has mandated all such category vehicles to compulsorily shift to FASTag installations, as not doing so will charge them extra on pockets at fee plazas on National Highways.

The extended deadline has been shifted to midnight of 15th/16th February 2021.

The MoRTH stated, “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.”

Gadkari stressed that vehicle owners should immediately adopt the e-payment facilty.

Motive Behind Switching to FASTags

The ministry has clarified that doing so would promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for a seamless passage through the fee plazas.

FASTags, introduced in 2016, have prepaid RFID tags, which are used to automatically deduct toll plaza charges from the car, and there is no need to stop the car and make the payment, thereby saving fuel and making the process seamless.

The ministry was to make this transition by January 1, 2021.

However, due to a large population of motorists continuing to use cash to pay toll taxes on highways, the Ministry decided to extend the deadline to Feb 15.