National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to charge double the toll fee amount if vehicle's FASTag is not affixed on the front windshield.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be charging double toll for vehicles which do not have FASTag affixed on the Front Windshield, as per the established rules, as announced by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Govt. of India, on 18th July 2024.
As per the rules, the FASTags should not only be valid, only one vehicle should have only one FASTag, and the FASTag should be affixed on the top of your vehicle's front windshield. FASTag is a sticker that you have to stick on the inner side of your front windshield.
This makes it to enable easy, quick, and hassle-free movements of vehicles through the NHAI toll plazas as the FASTag scanning cameras installed there can easily read the FASTAg on your vehicle and the automated technology will then do the needful.
But despite that, it is noticed that there are people who still do not affix their FASTag sticker on their front windshield (from the inside) but carry it in their pockets or keep it in their cars and try to hold it their hand at the toll plazas to have it scanned by the scanner cameras on the toll plaza. This can cause unnecessary delays at the toll plazas and inconvenience others in line behind them.
So, to discourage and deter people from doing so despite there being a rule that FASTags should be fixed on the front windshield, NHAI is enforcing this double toll fee fine for such FASTag users who choose not to adhere to the rule.
As mentioned in their announcement, to deter National Highway users from deliberately not fixing FASTag on the windscreen of the vehicle, NHAI has issued guidelines to collect double user fee from such users entering the toll lane with non-affixed FASTag on front windshield from the inside. Deliberate non-affixation of FASTag on the windscreen leads to unnecessary delays at the toll plazas causing inconvenience to the fellow National Highway users.
They've already issued detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to all User Fee Collection Agencies and Concessionaires to charge double user fee in case of not affixing of FASTag on the front windshield. Also, as per their announcement, this information will also be prominently displayed at all toll plazas which charge a user fee through FASTags, with a purpose of informing national highway users about the penalties for non-compliance of entering a toll lane without a fixed FASTag on front windshield.
In addition to this, CCTV footage with Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) at the toll plazas that'll be recorded of those violating the rule with non-affixed FASTags, for maintaining proper records about the fee charged and evidence of the vehicle being in the toll lane at that time and date.
Furthermore, any vehicle which does not have a FASTag affixed on the front windshield as per the rules, is not entitled to make an electronic toll payment at the toll plazas, and such violations will also make it liable to be blacklisted, as per NHAI's announcement.
As given in their announcement that in accordance with already established rules, NHAI aims to enforce the standard procedural guidelines for affixing of FASTag on the front windshield of the assigned vehicle from inside. Any FASTag that is not affixed on the assigned vehicle as per standard process is not entitled to carry out Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) transaction at a User Fee Plaza and will have to pay double toll fee as well as can be duly blacklisted.
FASTAG issuing banks have also been directed to ensure that the FASTag is affixed to the assigned vehicle on front windshield as per the rule, at the time of issuance from their Point-of-Sale (POS).
NHAI collects user fees on National Highways as per the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. At present, user fee is collected for approximately 45,000 km of National Highways and Expressways at around 1,000 Toll Plazas on National Highways across the country.
In India, FASTags have around 98% percent penetration rate and above 8 crore users. FASTag has indeed revolutionised the Electronic Toll Collection system in the country. With this initiative of charging double user fee to non-affixation of FASTag on the front windshield, NHAI and MoRTH say that it will help to make toll operations more efficient, and help to ensure seamless and comfortable journey for National Highway users.
Earlier this year in January 2024, NHAI enforced the rule of only one FASTag for one vehicle with NHAI's ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ initiative with enforcing FASTags with incomplete KYC to get blacklisted and deactivated. The deadline to complete KYC for FASTag was later extended till 29th of February 2024.
FASTag was made mandatory in India three years ago from the 1st of January, 2021, with hybrid lanes accepting cash to remain operational till the 15th of February, 2021.
And as per the amendment of 15th May 2020, you should pay double the toll fee if your vehicle enters into “FASTag lane” of the toll plazas when either your vehicle is not fitted with FASTag or if your vehicle is without a valid or functional FASTag. That is, your FASTag is not valid or doesn't function.
- NHAI to Charge Double Toll from Vehicles with Non-affixed FASTag on Front Windshield - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 18 JUL 2024 5:53PM by PIB Delhi.