FASTag

National Electronic Toll Collection (FASTag) programme, is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched in 2016.
A FASTag is a reloadable tag that automatically deducts toll charges and allows a vehicle to pass through a toll gate without stopping for the payment.
It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to make cashless payments through a prepaid account linked to it.
The tag is fixed to the windscreen of a vehicle and an RFID antenna in the canopy of the toll gate scans the QR code and the tag identification number, following which the boom barrier lifts to allow a vehicle to pass through.
The tag, which is valid for five years, comes in seven different colours — violet, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, black. Each colour is assigned to a particular category of vehicles.
FASTag is vehicle specific and once it is affixed to a vehicle, it cannot be transferred to another vehicle. So it avoids duplication.
It has been implemented on pan India basis in order to remove bottlenecks and ensure seamless movement of traffic and collection of user fee as per the notified rates.
FASTag has been made mandatory for all vehicles in the country.

FASTag uses RFID technology that provides users a smooth and effortless cross-over at Toll plazas without waiting/halting.
The payment is made digitally through the FASTag linked to the bank wallet.
As social distancing has become the new norm, commuters are increasingly looking at FASTag as a toll payment option as it nullifies the chances of any human contact between the drivers and the toll operators.
Being an inclusive technological tool for toll collection on highways, FASTag is amore practical and beneficial option.
Implementation of FASTag is one step in the direction of providing safe, smooth and seamless journeys to commuters on National Highways.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has made FASTags mandatory from February 15 midnight and any vehicle not fitted with it will be charged double at toll plazas across the country.
The ministry has clarified that this has been done to further promote digital payments through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption.

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