FASTag becomes compulsory; deadline won’t be extended   

FASTag mandatory from Feb 15/16 midnight

From Monday night, it will be mandatory for your vehicle to carry the Fastag. The reason you should definitely take this notification seriously is because as per the Union Ministry of Road Transportation and Highways vehicles without FASTag will have to pay twice the toll amount.

Another reason for you to act upon it quickly is that the deadline for implementation of FASTag will not be extended this time. Earlier, the deadline had been extended from January 1 to February 15. A statement from the Union transport ministry further said, “It has been decided that all lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as FASTag lane with effect from the midnight of February 15/16.

What is a Fastag?

Fastag is a sticker that you need to fix on the windshield of your car. It has been developed for toll collection purposes and works with electronic payment systems developed by the National Payments Corporation of India. An RFID-enabled barcode on the tag is linked with your vehicle's registration details, which enables automatic deduction of the toll amount from your prepaid balance.

Where to buy?

FASTag are available at some toll plazas across the country. All you need to do is produce an ID and vehicle registration documents. The most convenient way to by Fastag is online. Paytm and Amazon.in, besides banks such as HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank, etc. are selling it online.

How much does it cost?

If you choose to buy it from a website, such as PAytm, it will cost you around Rs. 500. Of this, Rs. 250 will be a refundable deposit while Rs. 150 will get added to your wallet balance. In some cases, the type of vehicle will also matter.

How to recharge?

FASTag digital wallet can be recharged using internet banking, credit or debit cards and UPI.

Also remember that a FASTag is valid for five years from the date of purchase.

However, some groups of people, such as judges, ministers, bureaucrats, military officers, and emergency service workers are exempt from getting a Fastag.