In India, when you are in a hurry to reach some city, the major hurdle would be the long queues at the toll booths. Most of the toll booths in India are manual and call for huge queues to take the money and give away change.
If you happen to visit foreign countries, then this queue is not there at all due to the fast scanning of licence plates to collect money at the toll booths.
Apart from the long queues, if statistics mentioned in the Times of India article are to be believed, then approximately Rs. 12000 crores are wasted annually in India at toll booth plazas. Two major secondary reasons for losses are fuel wastage and exhaustion of human resources at toll plazas.
The monetary loss is a primary reason. Another issue which is created by toll booths is air pollution. Toll Plaza, in that regard, is a primary contributor to the surge in air pollution levels in India.
However, the Indian government has taken due action and introduced FASTag in 2017. Still, the fast tag is not very common in India. Hence, the agenda of implementing FASTag in India was to curtail such levels. Let us take you through the details about FASTag. What is fasttag & how to get FASTag immediately?
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What is FASTag?
FASTag is an electronic toll collection system introduced by the Indian government. It is operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The technology it uses for the collection of money is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The money is collected from the prepaid or savings account linked to FASTag or direct toll owner. The FASTag is fixed on the windscreens of the vehicles, which enables cars to drive through toll booths without a layover for transactions.
These tags can be purchased from official tag issuers or participating banks. As per NHAI, FASTag has lifetime validity. To promote the use of FASTag 7.5% cashback offers are also provided.
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Dedicated Lanes at some Toll plazas have been built for df. In January 2019, state-run oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL signed MoUs to ensure the use of FASTag while purchasing petrol at petrol pumps.
By September 2019, FASTag lanes will be available on 500 national and state highways and over 54.6 lakh (5.46 million) cars will be enabled with FASTag. Starting 1 January 2021, FASTag is mandatory for all vehicles. Later, due to the COVID situation, it was postponed to 15 February 2021.
FASTag does not have any expiry date, hence, they can be used as long as they are not tampered with and are readable at the toll plazas. This measure was taken keeping in scrutiny several inconveniences for both individual drivers and the nation at large.
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How Does FASTag Work?
Once you have FASTag on your vehicle, you need not worry about the toll booths and queues. You should enable your FASTag before putting it on the windscreen. Once you are at the toll plaza, the scanners will automatically scan and deduct the money from your prepaid account or bank account.
You need not stop your vehicle to make any physical transactions at toll plazas. The toll collection will be done electronically under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme.
FASTag works in a similar way as that of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies. There is an RFID-enabled sticker that is fixed to a vehicle’s windshield, and a reader at the toll booth can scan this card wirelessly and automatically process the payment.
Once you pass a FASTag–enabled toll plaza, you won’t have to stop your car to make a cash payment for the toll fee. Instead, you can just keep driving and the fee will be paid automatically through your linked account.
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When FASTag Were Introduced?
In 2014, the FASTag was set up as a pilot project in the Golden Quadrilateral between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. In 2016, 347 toll plazas on national highways started accepting FASTag payments. By 2017, NHAI launched a FASTag lane in all 370 toll plazas.
The government made it mandatory for all new vehicles sold in India after December 2017. In October 2019, FASTag was made mandatory on all National Highways.
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How to Get FASTag Immediately
FASTags are issued by 22 certified banks at certain branches. Also issued by various channels at National Highway toll plazas. FASTag is also available on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.
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Which Banks Issue FASTag?
All the major banks in India provide FASTag such as 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, Saraswat Bank, City Union Bank, IndusInd Bank, Yes Bank, Union Bank, Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd. Apart from these banks, payment banks such as Paytm and Fino Payment Bank issue FASTag.
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How to Activate FASTag?
After you have bought a FASTag, you will have to activate it to make it functional. There are two ways to activate FASTag: one is by self-activation and the other is activated by visiting a bank branch.
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How to Recharge FASTag?
In case you have linked the FASTag to the NHAI prepaid wallet, then it can be recharged through cheque or UPI/debit card/ credit card/ NEFT/ Net Banking, etc.
But if your account is linked to the FASTag, the money will be directly deducted. You have to buy two separate FASTags for two vehicles.
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What Are the Benefits of Using FASTag?
The government is offering 2.5 per cent cashback on toll payments on using FASTag at toll plazas. Moreover, FASTag will ensure seamless traffic and prevent congestion at toll plazas.
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Is FASTag Mandatory?
Yes. From December 1, 2019, FASTags are made mandatory. If FASTag is not put on a vehicle, the driver will have to pay double the toll tax. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to make the use of FASTag mandatory from February 15, 2021, for all four-wheelers.
Since December 2019, all lanes of national highway toll plazas were declared as “FASTag lanes”. Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that all vehicles must have FASTags otherwise will have to face penalties. Additionally, from April 1, 2021, your vehicle must have a valid FASTag if you want to get it covered by a new third-party motor insurance policy.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)–the regulatory body supervising the distribution of FASTag cards and set up of FASTag-compliant toll booths – has mentioned recently that there are more than 540 toll plazas in India that have the necessary technology for scanning such cards.
Hence, it becomes crucial to avail a FASTag card at the earliest to avoid paying a lot more when going on long journeys.
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FASTag: FAQ
How to Use FASTag
FASTag works in a similar way as that of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies. There is an RFID-enabled sticker that is fixed to a vehicle’s windshield, and a reader at the toll booth can scan this card wirelessly and automatically process the payment.
Once you pass a FASTag–enabled toll plaza, you won’t have to stop your car to make a cash payment for the toll fee. Instead, you can just keep driving and the fee will be paid automatically through your linked account.
How to Recharge SBI FASTag
SBI FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making tolls Steps to recharge SBI FASTag online
Step 1: Visit the official SBI FASTag website – Click Here.
Step 2: Now, log in with your username and password to access your account.
Step 3: it will redirect you to a new screen, select the ‘Tag Recharge’ option at the top of the page.
Step 4: On the redirected page, enter the amount you want to recharge your SBI FASTag with.
Is FASTag Mandatory
Yes. From December 1, 2019, FASTags are made mandatory. If FASTag is not put on a vehicle, the driver will have to pay double the toll tax. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to make the use of FASTag mandatory from February 15, 2021, for all four-wheelers.
How to Check Balance in FASTag
Install the MyFASTag App and check your FASTag balance. You have to be a prepaid customer of FASTag and must have your mobile number registered with the prepaid wallet of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). You can also check the balance by giving a missed call to the toll-free number: +91-8884333331.
How FASTag Works
FASTag works in a similar way as that of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies. There is an RFID-enabled sticker that is fixed to a vehicle’s windshield, and a reader at the toll booth can scan this card wirelessly and automatically process the payment.
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