No FASTag on front windshield? Here's how much you will be penalised

Do you carry your FASTag in your wallet or hold it in your hand instead of sticking it to your car’s windshield at toll plazas? If so, you could now face penalties from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under their new guidelines.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) released detailed standard operating procedures (SOP) for all toll collection agencies and concessionaires. According to the new rules, those found violating the guidelines will be charged double the toll fees and can even be blacklisted.

FASTag, an electronic toll collection system, boasts a penetration rate of around 98 per cent and over 8 crore users. Currently, toll fees are collected across approximately 45,000 kilometres of national highways and expressways at around 1,000 toll plazas nationwide.

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What are these new SOPs, and how does NHAI plan to enforce them? Let’s take a closer look

But first, why the new guidelines?

The NHAI reports that the deliberate non-affixation of FASTag on vehicle windshields has caused unnecessary delays at toll plazas, inconveniencing fellow highway users.

“This initiative of charging double user fees for non-affixation of FASTag will help to make toll operations more efficient and ensure a seamless and comfortable journey for national highway users,” NHAI stated.

Since February 2021, FASTag has been mandatory for paying toll fees on National Highways. Under established rules, NHAI aims to enforce the proper affixation of FASTag on the vehicle’s front windshield from the inside.

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FASTags not affixed according to the standard process will not be allowed to carry out Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) transactions at toll plazas. Violators will have to pay double toll fees and may also be blacklisted, the authority’s statement added.

In June, NHAI, responsible for managing about 70,000 km of national highways, discovered that despite the FASTag system, long queues persisted at toll plazas across the country.

To address this, toll plaza agents were also instructed to use only certified equipment from manufacturers authorised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, ensuring the installation of high-quality hardware at toll plazas.

How does NHAI plan to implement them?

The NHAI said information about the new guidelines will be prominently displayed at all user fee plazas, informing highway users about the penalties for non-compliance of entering a toll lane without a fixed FASTag on the front windshield.

In addition, they plan to install CCTV cameras at the fee plazas, to capture footage with Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) of the non-affixed FASTag cases. This, the authorities said will help in maintaining proper records regarding the fee charged and the presence of the vehicle in the toll lane.

Issuer banks have been instructed to ensure FASTags are properly affixed to vehicles’ front windshields at the time of issuance from various points of sale (POS).

In a bid to further enhance toll operations, NHAI had earlier announced plans to implement a Global Navigation Satellite System-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system within the existing FASTag framework. This new system aims to provide a seamless, barrier-free tolling experience for highway users, increasing both efficiency and transparency in toll collection.

By addressing these issues and rolling out advanced technology, NHAI aims for smoother travel experience for millions of highway users, ensuring that toll operations are efficient, fair, and hassle-free.

With input from agencies