FASTag turns Mandatory from February 15, you will have to pay twice the toll fee if you don't have it

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) today announced that all lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as "FASTag lane of the fee plaza" from midnight of 15th/16th February 2021. Those who don't install FASTag in their vehicles or have a tag that does not work will have to pay twice the fee for the category of the vehicle they are driving.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in a tweet today said, "As per NH Fee Rules 2008, any vehicle without FASTag or without valid, functional "FASTag" entering the "FASTag lane" shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category from 15/16 February midnight."

To ensure a smooth transition to the FASTag system, the government said all fee lanes in toll plazas on National Highways will be able to read the tags.

The second tweet added, "To promote fee payment through digital mode, it has been decided that all the lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as "FASTag lane of the fee plaza" from 15/16 February midnight."

MoRTH had mandated fitment of FASTag in M & N categories of motor vehicles with effect from January 1, 2021. Category 'M' stands for a vehicle with at least 4 wheels used for carrying passengers & Category 'N' stands for vehicles with at least 4 wheels used for carrying goods.

In November 2020, the ministry had issued a notification making FASTag mandatory by January 1, 2021, in old vehicles sold before December 1, 2017, through amendments in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

The government said the complete migration to FASTag will help promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for a seamless passage through fee plazas.

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the deadline for using FASTag would not be extended and vehicle owners should immediately use the e-payment facility. FASTag was introduced in 2016. Mr Gadkari said the government had extended the FASTag registration date limit several times before, and now it would not be extended anymore.

FASTag registration has gone up to 90 per cent on some routes and only 10 per cent of people are left, news agency PTI reported.