FASTag

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FASTag
Company typeElectronic toll collection
Fuel purchase payment
Parking fees[1]
National Park Entry Fees[2]
Founded4 November 2014; 10 years ago (2014-11-04)
Headquarters
Dwarka, Delhi
,
India
Area served
Pan-India
ProductsRFID Tags
OwnerIndian Highways Management Company Limited
ParentMinistry of Road Transport and Highways
Websitenhai.gov.in#/national-electronic-toll-collection

FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).[3][4] It employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly toll owner. It is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables one to drive through toll plazas without stopping for transactions. The tag can be purchased from official Tag issuers or participating Banks[5] which are Made in India and if it is linked to a prepaid account, then recharging or top-up can be as per requirement.[6] The minimum recharge amount is ₹100 and can be done online.[7] As per NHAI, FASTag has unlimited validity. 7.5% cashback offers were also provided to promote the use of FASTag. Dedicated Lanes at some Toll plazas have been built for FASTag.

In January 2019, state-run oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL have signed MoUs enabling the use of FASTag to make purchases at petrol pumps.[8]

As of September 2019, FASTag lanes are available on over 500 national and state highways and over 54.6 lakh (5.46 million) cars are enabled with FASTag.[9] Starting 1 January 2021, FASTag was to be mandatory for all vehicles but later the date was postponed to 15 February 2021.[10] FASTag transactions were valued at ₹5,559.91 crore in January 2024 with 33.138 crore in volume terms.[11]

FASTag Annual Pass

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The Indian government is considering a new toll policy that would introduce a FASTag Annual Pass, allowing private vehicle owners to travel unlimited distances on national highways and expressways for a one-time payment of ₹3,000 per year. This initiative aims to simplify toll payments and reduce congestion at toll plazas by eliminating the need for frequent recharges and individual toll deductions.

Under the proposed dual-payment system, vehicle owners would have the option to choose between:

  • Annual Pass: A flat fee of ₹3,000 per year for unlimited travel on national highways and expressways.[12]
  • Distance-Based Pricing: A fixed toll rate of ₹50 per 100 kilometers traveled, replacing the current toll plaza fee structure.

The new system would utilize the existing FASTag infrastructure, requiring no additional documents or installations. Notably, the government has shelved an earlier proposal that suggested a lifetime FASTag costing ₹30,000 for 15 years.

To further enhance the toll collection process, the policy also aims to eliminate physical toll booths, replacing them with sensor-based digital toll collection systems that rely on GPS and automated vehicle tracking for toll deductions. This move is expected to ensure barrier-free travel and reduce travel time for commuters.

To address concerns from contractors and toll operators, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to compensate them based on digital toll data and a government-approved formula. Additionally, banks may be granted more authority to prevent toll evasion, including enforcing minimum balance requirements on FASTag-linked accounts.

If implemented, this policy could significantly ease congestion, reduce travel time, and lower the cost of long-distance road travel for regular commuters.

Timeline

[edit]
Electronic Toll Lanes on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway.
  • The system was initially set up as a pilot project in 2014 on the stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
  • The system was implemented on the Delhi - Mumbai arm of the Quadrilateral on 4 November 2014.[13]
  • In July 2015, toll plazas on the Chennai - Bangalore stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral started accepting FASTag payments.[14]
  • By April 2016, FASTag was rolled out to 247 toll plazas on national highways across India, representing 70% of all toll plazas in the country at the time.[15]
  • By 23 November 2016, 347 fee plazas out of 366 on national highways across the country accept FASTag payments.[16]
  • On 1 October 2017, the NHAI launched a FASTag lane in all 370 toll plazas under its ambit.[17]
  • On 8 November 2017, it was followed up by making FASTag mandatory on all new vehicles sold in India after December 2017.[18]
  • On 19 October 2019, it was announced that FASTag will be mandatory on all National Highways from 1 December 2019 and non-FASTag users will be charged double the toll.[19]
  • During November, GMR Hyderabad International Airport launches FASTag Car Park facility.[20][21]
  • On 15 December 2019, FASTag became mandatory throughout India.[22]
  • 600+ Toll Plazas are now connected with FASTag. Many more are in queue to connect very soon.
  • On 1 January 2021, FASTag was made mandatory at every toll plaza in the country.[23] but later the date was postponed to 15 February 2021.[10]
  • Starting 1 February 2024, NHAI stated that only the most recent FASTag account will remain operational, while earlier tags will be deactivated or blacklisted.[24]
Toll Gate Payment collection status [2017-2022][25][26]
Period Toll Gate Payment collection status Total(Cr.) Fastag Method collection (Cr.)
2016-17 17942.14 871
2017-18 21948.13 3532
2018-19 24396.20 5956
2019-20 26850.71 10957
2020-21 27744.15 25291
2021-22 34535 33274

References

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  1. ^ "Now, pay parking fees through FASTag at Ahmedabad airport | Here's how to use the facility". 29 May 2023. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Tamil Nadu forest dept starts collecting entry fee through 'FASTag' at Doddabetta". 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  3. ^ "FASTag Roll-out and Facilitation". Press Information Bureau. New Delhi. 13 June 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Another Official FAQ" (PDF). NHAI. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. ^ "FASTag Page in NHAI website". Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Official FAQ" (PDF). NHAI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  7. ^ "FAQs on NETC FASTag". Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  8. ^ Staff Writer (9 January 2019). "Coming soon: Pay at petrol pumps in seconds using FASTags". livemint.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. ^ "These innovations are helping digital payments go mass". Sify. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  10. ^ a b Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (19 November 2020). "FASTag mandatory for all four-wheelers from Jan. 1". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  11. ^ "UPI transactions touches Rs 18.41 lakh crore in January, shows NPCI data". Moneycontrol. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Will FASTag Annual Toll Pass Be A Reality? Here's What We Know". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  13. ^ Gupta, Siddhartha (31 October 2014). "Soon, drive non-stop and pay tolls speeding through 'FASTag' lane". Indian Express. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Driving From Chennai to Bangalore? Get Smart Tag to Zip Through the Toll Gate". Express News Service. Chennai. The New Indian Express. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  15. ^ "FASTag Is Now Active In Over 70% Toll Plazas On National Highways". The Logical Indian. 21 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Electronic Toll Management System". Press Information Bureau. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  17. ^ Sood, Jyotika (3 November 2017). "Four-wheelers sold from December must be fitted with FASTag: Centre". Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Come December, All New Vehicles Will Have FASTag for Cashless Toll Plazas: Nitin Gadkari". News18. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Insight 18 | FASTags mandatory for vehicles on national highways from Dec 1, here's how it will ease traffic". Moneycontrol. 19 October 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  20. ^ Somasekhar, M. (17 November 2019). "GMR Hyderabad International Airport introduces FASTag Car Park facility". @businessline. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Hyderabad airport launches FASTag parking". LiveMint. 22 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  22. ^ Dubey, Navneet. "FASTag will become mandatory from December 15, 2019". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  23. ^ Reddy, Ravi (7 December 2020). "FASTag at toll plazas must from January 1". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  24. ^ "KYC your FASTag before deadline 31st January 2024 NHAI". 31 January 2024. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  25. ^ "Tollgate vs Fastag collection". The Times of India. 7 August 2022. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Toll gate collection Yearwise". businesstoday.in. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
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