NHAI to charge double toll from vehicles with FASTag non-affixed on front windshield

Delhi: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has issued new guidelines today to ensure FASTag compliance on National Highways. Now, users caught without a properly affixed FASTag on the front windshield will be subject to paying double user fees when entering the toll plaza. This decision was taken in a bid to discourage users from deliberately not fixing FASTag on the windscreen of the vehicle.

NHAI has issued detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to all User Fee Collection Agencies and Concessionaires. These procedures instruct them to charge double user fees if FASTag is not affixed on the front windshield. The information about these penalties will be prominently displayed at all toll plazas, informing highway users about the consequences of entering a toll lane without a fixed FASTag.

CCTV footage at the fee plaza will record the Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) of vehicles without a FASTag. This will help keep a proper record of the fee charged and the vehicle’s presence in the toll lane.

NHAI will enforce the rules for affixing FASTag on the inside of the vehicle’s front windshield. If a FASTag is not properly affixed, the vehicle cannot use Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) and will have to pay double the toll fee. The vehicle can also be blacklisted. Issuer banks must ensure FASTag is properly fixed to the vehicle’s front windshield when issued at Point-of-Sale (POS) locations.

NHAI collects user fees on National Highways according to the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. Currently, fees are collected for about 45,000 km of National Highways and Expressways. There are around 1,000 toll plazas on National Highways across the country where these fees are collected.

FASTag has a penetration rate of about 98 percent and over 8 crore users. It has transformed the Electronic Toll Collection system in India. Charging double user fees for non-affixation of FASTag will improve toll operations. This initiative will ensure a smooth and comfortable journey for National Highway users. DeshGujarat