Benefits Of Using FASTAGs: All You Need To Know & How To Get One For Yourself

In order to prevent congestion at toll plazas, the government has made it mandatory to declare all lanes at toll fee plaza on national highways as 'FASTAG lanes'.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

In order to prevent congestion at toll plazas, the government has made it mandatory to declare all lanes at toll fee plaza on national highways as 'FASTag lanes'. What is FASTag? FASTags are prepaid rechargeable tags used for toll collection. FASTag does not have any expiry date, hence, they can be used if the tag is not tampered with and are readable at the toll plazas. The electronic toll collection system operated by the NHAI. The system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for operation and, is affixed on the windscreen of vehicles. How does FASTags work? Vehicles which have FASTag sticker, do not have to stop at toll gates as the toll amount is deducted from the prepaid or bank account when the vehicle is moving. This means that drivers do not have to stop their vehicle to make transactions as the toll collection will be done electronically under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program. Is it mandatory? Yes, the government made the FASTAG from December 1, 2019, mandatory. If the sticker is missing from a vehicle, the driver will have to pay double the toll tax. How to buy FASTag? There are 22 different banks and channels available at the National Highway Toll Plaza from where the stickers can be bought. FASTAGS are even available on e-commerce platforms such as Paytm, Amazon, and Flipkart. What are the banks that issue FASTAGs? Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, IDFC Bank, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Syndicate Bank, Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Maharashtra Co-op Bank, Sarawat Bank, City Union Bank, IndusInd Bank, Yes Bank, Union Bank, Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd are the banks certified by the NHAI to issue FASTAGs. While payment banks such as Paytm and Fino Payment Bank issue FASTags. How to activate FASTag? Once the FASTAG is bought, it is needed to be activated to make it work. There are two ways to activate FASTags:

1. Self-Activation
2. Activate by visiting a bank branch

Self-Activation Step 1: Download 'My FASTag' mobile app from 'Google Play Store' or “App Store” Step 2: Enter vehicle details on the app Step 3: Link the FASTag with existing bank accounts Do note: FASTags are 'bank-neutral' so no bank is pre-assigned to when you purchase it online or through a POS terminal. NHAI also has the  Prepaid wallet facility is available, where one can add money and get the toll deducted if in case the user doesn’t want the FASTAG to be linked with the bank.

Activate by visiting a certified bank branch Visit the nearest certified bank branch and get the FASTAG linked with the existing bank account. For this, one has to submit the KYC document and also the Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle. How to recharge FASTag? In case the FASTAG is linked to the NHAI prepaid wallet, then it can be recharged through cheque or through UPI/debit card/ credit card/ NEFT/ Net Banking, etc. But if the bank account is linked to the FASTag, the money will be directly deducted. Can we use FASTag with two or more vehicles? No. The tags are non-transferable, one must buy two separate FASTags for two vehicles. What are the benefits of using FASTag? The government has offered 2.5 percent cash back on toll payments on using FASTAG at toll plazas. Moreover, FASTAG will ensure seamless traffic and prevent congestion at toll plazas. When was the FASTag introduced? In 2014, FASTag was set up as a key project in the Golden Quadrilateral between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. By 2016, 347 toll plazas on national highways started accepting FASTag payments. The following year, NHAI launched a FASTag lane in all 370 toll plazas under its ambit and the government made it mandatory on all new vehicles sold in India after December 2017. On October 19, 2019 FASTag was made mandatory on all National Highways.