Govt pushes for mandatory FASTag from Dec 1

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Friday said it has decided to declare all lanes at the toll-fee plaza on national highways as 'FASTag lanes' from December 1 to prevent congestion at toll plazas.

After December 1, non-FASTag users will be charged double the fee if they pass through FASTag-only lanes, said the Ministry in the statement. This essentially means everyone needs to install FASTag in their vehicles to avoid paying an extra toll.

FASTag is a prepaid tag that enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets the vehicle pass through the toll plaza without stopping for the cash transaction.

However, among all lanes, one 'hybrid lane' will be allowed at every toll plaza to facilitate and monitor over-dimensional or oversized vehicles, where FASTag and other modes of payment will be accepted.

In a statement, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said this lane will also be converted into FASTag-only lane in a time-bound manner.