FASTag New Rule: Double Fee for Not Affixing FASTag on Front Windshield
FASTag New Rule: Double Fee for Not Affixing FASTag on Front Windshield
NHAI mandates double toll fees and potential blacklisting for vehicles without properly affixed FASTags, to curb delays and ensure smooth toll operations.
In an effort to prevent deliberate evasion of toll fees, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a stringent new rule. This rule requires FASTags to be affixed to the front windshield of vehicles. Drivers who fail to comply will be charged double the standard toll fee. Repeat offenders may even face blacklisting.
The NHAI explained that the deliberate non-affixation of FASTags causes unnecessary delays at toll plazas. It is inconveniencing other highway users. “Deliberate non-affixation of FASTag on the windscreen leads to unnecessary delays at the toll plazas causing inconvenience to fellow National Highway users,” NHAI stated.
To ensure awareness, NHAI will prominently display information about these penalties at all toll plazas. Additionally, CCTV footage capturing the Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) will be recorded for vehicles without affixed FASTags. This measure aims to maintain proper records of the fees charged and the presence of such vehicles in toll lanes.
The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, guide the collection of user fees on National Highways. Currently, fees are collected for approximately 45,000 km of National Highways and Expressways across around 1,000 toll plazas nationwide.
The new directive has been issued by the National Highways Management Company Limited (NHMCL). Toll collectors must display the information including penalty provisions, at toll plazas for public knowledge. They are also directed to store CCTV footage with clear vehicle registration numbers whenever double user fees are collected, serving as evidence in case of disputes.
NHAI officials emphasized that this move is intended to enhance toll collection efficiency and reduce instances of toll evasion on closed tolling stretches such as expressways and greenfield highways.
