The central government has postponed the mandatory implementation of FASTag to 15 December. Earlier the date of implementation was on 1 December. It said it will now charge double user fee from vehicles entering FASTag lane without FASTag from December 15, instead of December 1.
Highlights:
- FASTag is a prepaid tag, affixed on vehicle’s windscreen, that enables automatic deduction of toll charges
- Govt said it will now charge double user fee from vehicles entering FASTag lane without FASTag from Dec 15, instead of Dec 1
FASTag is an electronic device installed in the vehicle to enable drivers to pass through toll plazas without halting for paying the toll tax. The aim is to promote digital payments at the toll plaza and decongest national highways.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a statement said, “… to provide some more time to citizens to buy and put FASTag on their vehicles, it has now been decided that charging of double user fee from vehicles which enter FASTag lane without FASTag will start from December 15, 2019, instead of December 1, 2019.”
How to buy and activate your FASTag
FASTags are issued by 22 certified banks through various channels such as Point-of-Sale (POS) at National Highway toll plazas and select bank branches. They are also available on the e-commerce platform such as Amazon and Paytm.
GET A FREE AXIS BANK FASTAG
Here is how you can do it.
Self-Activation: FASTags are ‘bank-neutral’, that is, no bank is pre-assigned to the FASTag at the time you purchase it from a POS terminal or online platform. The online FASTag is based on the concept of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) where you can self-activate it by entering vehicle details in the ‘My FASTag’ mobile app. Android smartphone users can download the My FASTag app from ‘Google Play Store’ and iPhone users can download the app from ‘Apple Store’.
Thereafter, you have the flexibility to link the FASTag with any one of your existing bank accounts by using the My FASTag Mobile app. The NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) Prepaid wallet facility is also available in My FASTag mobile app, where you can load money and get your toll fee deducted from the prepaid wallet instead of getting it directly deducted from a bank account.
Activate by visiting certified bank branch: You can also buy FASTag by visiting the nearest certified bank branch and get the FASTag linked with your existing bank account.
A detailed list of certified banks providing FASTags:
| S. No. | Issuing Bank | Customer Care Helpline No |
| 1 | Axis Bank | 1800-419-8585 |
| 2 | ICICI Bank | 1800-2100-104 |
| 3 | IDFC Bank | 1800-266-9970 |
| 4 | State Bank of India | 1800-11-0018 |
| 5 | HDFC Bank | 1800-120-1243 |
| 6 | Karur Vysya Bank | 1800-102-1916 |
| 7 | EQUITAS Small Finance Bank | 1800-419-1996 |
| 8 | PayTM Payments Bank Ltd | 1800-102-6480 |
| 9 | Kotak Mahindra Bank | 1800-419-6606 |
| 10 | Syndicate Bank | 1800-425-0585 |
| 11 | Federal Bank | 1800-266-9520 |
| 12 | South Indian Bank | 1800-425-1809 |
| 13 | Punjab National Bank | 080-67295310 |
| 14 | Punjab & Maharashtra Co-op Bank | 1800-223-993 |
| 15 | Saraswat Bank | 1800-266-9545 |
| 16 | Fino Payments Bank | 1860-266-3466 |
| 17 | City Union Bank | 1800-2587200 |
| 18 | Bank of Baroda | 1800-1034568 |
| 19 | IndusInd Bank | 1860-5005004 |
| 20 | Yes Bank | 1800-1200 |
| 21 | Union Bank | 1800-222244 |
| 22 | Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd | 1800-2667183 |
At the time of activation, you need to submit the KYC (Know Your Customer) documentation as per the KYC policy of the bank. Apart from the KYC documentation, you need to submit Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle along with the application for FASTag to the bank.
How to recharge your FASTag:
If the FASTag is already linked with your bank account, then there is no need to load money separately in a prepaid wallet. You only need to ensure that your FASTag-linked bank account has sufficient balance to allow for toll payments. However, if you have linked to a prepaid wallet (NHAI prepaid wallet), then it can be recharged through various channels such as payment through cheque or through UPI/debit card/ credit card/ NEFT/ Net Banking. Also, additional charges will be levied while recharging the FASTag account through different channels.
Moreover, there is a cap on the maximum balance which can be kept in the prepaid wallet. As per regulations, these limits are:
For limited KYC account holder: This type of FASTag cannot have more than Rs 20,000 in their FASTag prepaid wallet. The monthly reload limit is also capped at Rs 20,000.
For full KYC account holder: This type of FASTag account cannot have more than Rs 1 lakh in their FASTag prepaid wallet. There is no monthly reload cap in this account, according to the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) website.
To give a fillip to digital payments and bring in enhanced transparency, the ministry had directed to declare all lanes of fee plazas on national highways as ‘FASTag lanes‘ .
