Everything You Need to Know About FASTag in India

The Road Transport and Highway Minister, Nitin Gadkari, has announced that FASTags will be mandatory for all the vehicles, private or commercial, from December 1, 2019. As per reports, the vehicles without FASTags are likely to have to pay twice the normal toll. Let us find out some important information on FASTags.   What is a FASTag and how does it work?   FASTag is Electronic Toll Collection program on toll plazas initiated by the National Highway Authority of India. It works on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The tag needs to be placed on the windscreen of your car in such a way that the sensor at the toll plaza can read it. When your car will pass through a FASTag dedicated lane, the sensor will read the tag and the amount will be automatically deducted from the linked account. This allows you to smoothly go through the toll plaza without actually waiting for any cash transactions and prevents long queues.   How can you get a FASTag?   Buying a FASTag for your vehicle is easy. If you happen to buy a new car, the dealer will automatically sell you one. For your older vehicle, you can buy a FASTag at any of the Point of Sale (POS) locations at the NHAI toll plazas. Alternatively, one can also directly get a FASTag from any of the private or public sector banks which have tied-up with NHAI. Currently, the list includes Syndicate Bank, Axis Bank, IDFC Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India and ICICI Bank and so on. You can also buy a FASTag through Paytm or Amazon.   What documents would you need to buy a FASTag?   If you are buying a FAStag from any of the POS locations, you need to submit a form along with a copy of the following documents. One must also carry the original copy of these documents for verification.   Vehicle's registration certificate (RC)   Vehicle owner's recent passport size photograph   KYC documents (Driving license, PAN Card, Passport, Voter ID Card or Aadhar Card)     The required documents may differ depending upon whether the tag is being issued for private or commercial use. For this, make sure you check the list of documents required before you head out to buy one. How to use a FASTag?   Once you have bought the FASTag, you need to fix it properly on the windscreen of co-driver’s side without tampering. As you will be a first time user, you will have to sync the tag with the online wallet. All you need to do is visit the website of the bank from where the FASTag was purchased and follow the given steps to complete the process. Once this is done, your FASTag is ready to use.   AT the toll plaza, drive in the FASTag lane. The scanner will scan the tag and funds would be automatically deducted from the linked account. In order to recharge the wallet, you can do so through debit card, credit card, NEFT or PAYtm.   What are the benefits of FASTag?   One of the main benefits of FASTag is that you need not wait at the toll plaza. Your car can smoothly pass through the toll without any hiccups. All you need to do is enter a FASTag dedicated lane. There would be no cash transaction and no need to wait for change or give the exact change.. As there will be no need of issuing receipts by the toll plaza, paper would be saved. Apart from all of these, the FASTag offers cashbacks and discounts depending on the vendor.   What are the charges of FASTag?   The prices vary depending on which POS you choose to buy from. Points to note   You cannot use the same FASTag for different vehicles. If you own two cars, you will have to buy two separate FASTags for both of them.   If you stay within the 10 km range of a toll plaza, you can avail a concession on FASTag. All you need to do is submit the required documents such as proof of residence to validate that you stay in the 10 km range. Once the address is verified, you can start getting a concession on the FASTag.   Now that you know the required information about FASTag, buy it today to avoid fines on or after December 1, 2019.   While the FASTag will let you travel peacefully on the highway, a car insurance will let you have peace of mind. If you wish to switch your car insurance, look no further. Go for Bajaj Allianz Car Insurance. It is one of the most comprehensive car insurances in India. Go ahead and buy car insurance today!