On-the-spot FASTag facility, more manpower at toll plazas before Jan 1

At present, almost 71 per cent of transactions on the National Highways toll plazas in the State were through FASTag mode while the national average stood at 74 per cent, said a senior NHAI official.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made FASTag mandatory for all four-wheelers regardless of the year of manufacture and age. To ensure compliance, MORTH has made FASTags must for vehicles to get new third-party insurance from April 1, 2021.

The NHAI official said that apart from the point of sale set up at the toll plazas, petrol bunks in the vicinity of the plazas were roped in to set up point of sale of FASTags. “This was done to avoid queueing near the toll plazas,” the official said, adding that FASTag activation has been simplified.

“Unlike earlier, now, FASTag will be activated within one to two minutes after the purchase of the RFID tag,” the official said. To help vehicle owners with blacklisted FASTags, the official said that considering the huge number of vehicles blacklisted, they could recharge at the point of sale at the toll plazas itself. “On the extreme left lane, there will be a point of sale of FASTags before the toll plaza where it can be purchased or recharge can be done,” the official added.

Asked whether four-wheelers without FASTag would be given more time to switch to the RFID tag, he said from January 1, only FASTag affixed vehicle would be allowed to pass through the toll plaza as per the policy decision. “We will deploy more manpower so that vehicles without FASTags would be asked to purchase the tag and pass-through using it,” he said.