New FASTag rules kick in today: Key changes you need to know

FASTag rules has been changed from Monday (February 17) across India in an effort to streamline digital toll payment process, help curb frauds and reduce long queues at toll gates due to payment disputes. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) have issued fresh guidelines highlighting major changes in FASTag rules from today. FASTag is the mandated mode of payment at toll gates across all national highways in India.

New FASTag rules come into effect: What has changed?

The new FASTag rules will see stricter implementation of fines against defaulting users. According to Hindustan Times, the crackdown is aimed at FASTag users trying to pass through with a blacklisted tag. A FASTag is often blacklisted due to low balance in account when it is scanned at a toll gate. This often leads to build-up of traffic at the toll plaza, beating the purpose of digital payment and streamlining traffic flow.

The new FASTag rules will decline transaction by any user whose tag has been blacklisted for more than an hour before reaching a toll plaza. The rule will be also applicable for tags that were blacklisted even 10 minutes before hitting the toll gates. For such violations, a FASTag user may have to pay double toll charges. The users will have a window of 70 minutes to top-up the FASTag balance before reaching toll gate.

The new FASTag rules also address concerns for those who have recharged the tag within 10 minutes of scanning. The rules say in such cases, one can request for a refund of the fine. For wrongly blacklisted or low-balance FASTags, the issuing banks can initiate chargebacks for incorrect deductions after a gap of 15 days.

The new rules will also crackdown on FASTag users if toll transactions take more than 15 minutes to process after the vehicle passes through the toll barrier. In such cases too, the FASTag users may have to shell out more.

New FASTag rules: How to avoid paying double toll

According to the new rules and guidelines issued by the NPCI and the government, one needs to ensure that FASTags have sufficient balance before starting a journey. It is important to keep a tab on the FASTag status and its balance well in advance before reaching the next toll gate.

What is FASTag?

The One Nation One Tag - FASTag scheme was launched across the country in December of 2019 with the stated aim to smoothen passage of vehicles through toll collection points on all highways in the country. It was also seen as a boost to a cashless economy. FASTag is mandatory for all vehicles in India, regardless of age or classification. And it has indeed helped quicken the pace of road travel through toll plazas, improved transparency and increase collection figures.

FASTag annual pass may reduce toll charges

The Centre may soon offer annual and lifetime FASTag passes to owners of private vehicles. It has been proposed that a private vehicle owner be given the option to purchase an annual pass for ₹3,000 or even opt for a lifetime pass that would be valid for 15 years for an upfront payment for ₹30,000. Either of these, however, will be valid for only one vehicle of which the registration number is assigned to the tag.

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