FASTags with incomplete KYC to get blacklisted and deactivated.
Update
Note : Deadline to complete KYC for FASTag was extended till 29th of February 2024. Earlier deadline was 31st January 2024.
Summary
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is enforcing a new ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ initiative to enhance their toll collection system and to facilitate seamless movement through their toll booths.
According to this ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ policy, each vehicle can now have only one FASTag associated with it, unlike in the past where a single vehicle could get a new FASTag for the same vehicle or use a single FASTag for multiple vehicles.
FASTag users are also advised to update the KYC for their FASTag accounts, in case their KYC is still incomplete. FASTag accounts with incomplete KYC will be disabled or blacklisted after the end of this month.
Details
As per today's announcement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is enforcing a new ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ initiative to enhance their Electronic Toll Collection system's efficiency and for providing seamless movement of vehicles at their Toll Plazas.
NHAI has also encouraged FASTag users to complete their ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) process for their latest FASTag by updating KYC as per RBI guidelines. FASTags which have a valid balance but with incomplete KYC will be deactivated/blacklisted by the banks after 31st January 2024.
Which means, if you have't completed the KYC for your FASTag yet, you have about two weeks time to do it, otherwise it is going to get blacklisted and deactivated after the end of this month. That is, the deadline to complete the KYC for your FASTag accounts is 31st January 2024. Blacklisted FASTags cannot be used at any toll plazas even if you have sufficient balance in them.
Their announcement further notes that to avoid inconvenience, users must ensure that KYC of their latest FASTag is completed. They've also specified that FASTag users must comply with ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ by discarding all the earlier FASTags which were issued to them through their respective FASTag issuing banks.
And only your latest FASTag account will remain active as previous tags will be deactivated or blacklisted after 31st January 2024. In case you need any help or have any questions about this, NHAI suggests you to reach out to your nearest toll plazas or the toll-free customer care number of the bank which has issued your FASTag.
NHAI took this initiative ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ after they came to know cases of multiple FASTags being issued for one vehicle and that RBI’s KYC mandate was not being followed while issuing of FASTags. They also stated that this initiative is to discourage people from using a single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a particular vehicle.
Also, and you might have noticed this yourself while travelling through the NH toll booths - some people intentionally do not fix the FASTags on their vehicle's windscreens, which may cause issues and unnecessary delays at the toll plaza, and inconveniencing others behind them. NHAI has also mentioned this in their announcement.
The FASTag rules require you to fix the FASTag sticker on your vehicle's windscreen so that the FASTag detectors in the toll plaza can easily scan it and do the needful to ensure a seamless movement through them without causing delays.
If you need any help or have questions on ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ or for completing KYC, NHAI suggests that FASTag users can seek assistance at their nearest toll plazas or contact the toll-free customer care number of their respective FASTag issuer banks.
FASTags were made mandatory from 1st January 2021 onwards for all class M & N category vehicles (four wheelers and above, carrying goods and/or passengers) passing through National Highways . Two-wheelers are not required to have FASTags.
FASTag, the Electronic Toll Collection system of National Highways of India, have around 98% penetration rate and over 8 crore users across the country.
Sources
- NHAI Takes ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ Initiative to Enhance National Highway Experience - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 15 JAN 2024 12:40PM.