New Delhi: The Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today informed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched FASTag programme to allow cashless payment of user fee for near non-stop movement of vehicles through toll plazas.
As on 3rd Aug, 2018, 26,59,042 RFID Tags have been issued.
The Minister further informed that financial concession is given to FASTag users. For FASTag users there is provision of cashback as mentioned below:
- For FY 18-19 – 5% of cashback
- For FY 19-20 – 2.5% of cashback
As per the Gazette notification G.S.R. 1361 (E), dated 02.09.2017, all new motor vehicles of categories M and N sold on or after the 1st December, 2017, shall be fitted with FASTag as may be specified by the Central Government, from time to time, by the manufacturer of the vehicle or its authorised dealer. Also, as per the Gazette notification G.S.R. 1095 (E), dated 28.11.2016, all service vehicles, as defined under clause (35) of section 2 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, shall be equipped with or fitted with vehicle tracking device and one or more emergency buttons. This shall not apply to two wheelers, E-rickshaw, three wheelers and any transport vehicle for which no permit is required under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. This shall come into force after 1st April, 2019.
Government has taken a number of steps to popularise FASTags among highway users. To facilitate easy availability of FASTag, it is being made available through kiosks set up by tag-issuer banks and also through online platforms. Mobile applications such as My FASTag have also started taking requests and providing FASTag to interested road users.
