What Happens If You Don’t Get A FASTag By December 1?

If you’re not planning to get a FASTag right away, here are a few hurdles you’ll have to face

• FASTags are mandatory for pan-India electronic toll payments from December onwards.

• Nearly all lanes at toll plazas will be FASTag lanes a few will be hybrid lanes during the technology adoption phase.

• Those who enter a FASTag lane without a FASTag will have to pay double the toll amount from December onwards.

• Hybrid cash payment lanes will be open for a limited time.

• NHAI is offering FASTags free of cost until the deadline. 

Update: The government made the use of FASTags mandatory across tolls from December 15 onwards while a cash-only lane will be available till January 15, more details here.

The government recently announced that the FASTag e-toll payment system is now mandatory for all cars. A FASTag is a device that uses RFID technology to electronically pay tolls. This measure will come into effect from 1 December onwards at all toll booths across the country.

In order to enforce the new rules, the government is preparing to enforce penalties. Those who enter a FASTag lane at the toll plaza without a valid FASTag will be charged double the toll amount. 

While the NHAI is confident that nearly all toll plazas will have ETC (electronic toll collection) infrastructure, there will be a hybrid lane for cash users, mainly heavy duty vehicles, during the transition period. However, this cash lane option will only be valid for a limited time.

In order to further motivate car owners to buy a FASTag for their vehicles, the NHAI will be issuing FASTags free of cost. Vehicle owners can get a FASTag for their car from points-of-sale set up by NHAI or from the banks by providing the necessary KYC and vehicle documents.

The FASTag prepaid wallet for ETC can be loaded by various means such as internet banking, credit/debit card, cheque and other digital wallet services. It is important to note that one FASTag is valid for one car only. You can find out more about how to get a FASTag, how it works and how to recharge it here.