In a fresh initiative for electronic toll collection (ETC), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday operationalised one dedicated FASTag lane at all toll plazas on National Highways.
“Now FASTag enabled vehicles can cruise through the dedicated FASTag lane without stopping at toll plazas on National Highways,” said a Road Transport and Highways Ministry statement.
The FASTag is an RFID tag available both online and offline through banks and common service centres. Two mobile applications, launched by NHAI on August 17 for ease of obtaining FASTags, have received tremendous response.
“Thousands of road users have downloaded the applications and purchased FASTags in less than two weeks. The penetration of FASTag has increased to 18 per cent as on August 31,” the statement said.
The government has mandated that new vehicles being sold with effect from October 1 will be affixed with active FASTag.
The ‘FASTag Partner App’ will facilitate more than 6000 dealers in the country to access a single platform and activate the FASTag at the time of delivery of vehicle, it added.
NHAI has also launched massive awareness campaign to make road users aware of the FASTag and its benefits.
“NHAI officers have been tasked to visit toll plazas personally and ensure operationalisation of single dedicated electronic toll collection lane. NHAI plans that as penetration of FASTag increases, more and more lanes will be dedicated to ETC,” according to the statement.
