FASTag mandatory from Monday midnight; pay twice toll fee if you don't have it

New Delhi: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released a statement which said that FASTag will be mandatory from Monday (January 15) on all the toll plaza lanes. The vehicles without FASTags or without valid, functional FASTagentering will be penalised with double the cost of the toll assigned to the respective vehicle.

Press Information Bureau (PIB) released the statement from the ministry which said “Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has decided that all lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as “FASTag lane of the fee plaza” w.e.f midnight of 15th/16th February 2021. Therefore, as per NH Fee Rules 2008, any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional FASTagentering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category.”

The statement issued by ministry suggested that the Ministry has clarified that this has been done to further promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for a seamless passage through the fee plazas. The Ministry had mandated fitment of FASTag in M&N categories of motor vehicles with effect from 1st January 2021.

Category ‘M’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers. Category ‘N’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods, which may also carry persons in addition to goods.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had earlier issued a notification making a FASTag mandatory for all four-wheel vehicles from January 1, 2021. FASTag has become mandatory for M and N class four-wheelers sold before December 1, 2017. For this, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 were amended. The ministry issued a notification regarding this on November 6.

As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, since December 1, 2017, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registration of new four-wheeled Vehicles and is being supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers.

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