Introductory overview to FASTag:
FASTag is the electronic toll collection system in India. It is simple to use and reloadable card. It is operated by the national highway authorities of India. It allows the users to make the payments of the toll directly from the prepaid accounts or the bank accounts by making use of the radio frequency identification technology. In order to promote its use, its users are provided with a cashback discount of 7.5%. For FASTag dedicated lines have been developed at a few toll plazas.
On 8th December, 2017, it was followed up by saying that FASTag has it to become mandatory for all the vehicles that will be sold after December 2017. It is affixed on the windscreen of a vehicle. It is believed that every tag is linked to a registered bank account or Paytm payments bank account, so as to facilitate instant as well as easy transactions with automatic deductions of toll charges. According to recent studies, it has been considered that it is operating at more than 450 toll plazas.
FASTag has validity of 5 years and after purchasing it one need to recharge it by making use of different modes of payment. It offers non-stop movement of vehicles though toll plazas. It also facilitates its users with convenience, as it promotes cashless procedure of making payment with nation interoperable electronic toll collection services.
FASTag facilitates its users with numerous benefits. Some of its benefits are listed below:
- Validity of 5 years
- Online recharge
- Saves fuel, energy and time
- Ease of payment- none is required to carry cash
- One can enjoy a cashback on the toll payments by making use of FASTag.
- SMS alerts for low balance and toll transactions
- Near non-stop movement of vehicles leading to lower fuel cost.
Apart from this, FASTag facilitates its users with the social, economic as well as environmental benefits.
- Environmental benefits: reduces air pollution, has reduced the use of paper and many more.
- Economic benefits: it has reduced efforts in management at toll plaza. Also, it has reduced effort in monitoring centrally.
- Social benefit: analytics for better highway management, reduced toll payment hassles and many more.
The adoption of FASTag has not bee made a compulsion yet. But it is believed that it will become mandatory in the coming years at some locations. It is applicable for all kind or categories of vehicles. This can be obtained with a one- time pay of Rs.200. the customers interested in buying a FASTag card are required to get their FASTag account created, they may also call on the toll free contact no. in order to acquire this card, the persons are required to submit numerous documents along with the application of FASTag.
For the users of FASTag, there is a special lane of vehicles. The minimum recharge amount of FASTag is just Rs. 100. For two vehicles, one needs to make two separate FASTag.
