Bhubaneswar: The ambitious FASTag will mandatory for vehicles from January 1, 2021 and the NHAI has made all necessary arrangements to provide seamless movement of vehicles at Fee Plazas, official sources said on Friday.
The toll collection through FASTag first time crossed Rs 80 crore per day on December 24 with record 50 Lakh FASTag transactions per day.
With more than 2.20 crore FASTag issued till date, adoption of FASTag by the Highway users has seen unprecedented growth.
Senior NHAI officials said that the adoption of FASTag has helped users to save time and fuel at the toll plazas. The digital transaction has got necessary push through the recent amendment in Central Motor Vehicle Rules.
FASTag is easily available at over 30,000 points of sale (PoS) across the country and mandatorily available at NHAI toll plazas.
It is also available online through Amazon, Flip Kart and Snapdeal. The program has partnered with 27 Issuer Banks and, has included several options to simplify its recharge facility such as Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), UPI, Online payments, My FASTag Mobile App, PAYTM, Google pay and others.
In addition, cash recharge facility is also being provided at Point of Sales (PoS) at Toll Plazas for convenience of users.
FASTag uses Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology that provide 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 a more practical and beneficial option.
Implementation of FASTag is one step in the direction of providing safe, smooth and seamless journey to commuters on National Highways, the government said in a release.
(With PIB Inputs)