Shocked by Double Toll Charges? Learn How No FASTag on Windshield Hits Hard on National Highways!
To promote the use of FASTag, an electronic toll collection system, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has instructed toll booth operators to charge double the toll for vehicles without the sticker displayed on their windshields. Such vehicles could also face blacklisting. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways indicated that this measure aims to reduce delays and improve efficiency at toll plazas. Standard operating procedures have been disseminated to all toll agencies, and information on the policy must be visibly posted at toll points. Additionally, CCTV systems will capture the registration numbers of non-compliant vehicles, and banks issuing FASTags are required to ensure proper sticker placement at the point of sale.
NHAI operates under the National Highway Fee Rules, 2008, managing toll collection across 1,000 plazas covering approximately 45,000 kilometers of highways in India. With over 80 million users and a 98% penetration rate, FASTag has significantly transformed toll collection.
In a parallel development, the union government plans to test GPS-based toll collections on five to ten highways. This more efficient system will eventually replace the current FASTag method. Highway developer NHAI is working on this satellite-based tolling, which will be piloted on selected stretches before a broader rollout. The new system will eliminate the need for physical toll plazas, leveraging geofencing through GPS or RFID technologies to automate toll collection based on distance traveled.
Under GPS-based tolling, vehicles will use tracking devices to determine movement, charging tolls based on the travel distance upon exiting the highway. This approach allows for a fairer toll calculation, reducing charges for shorter trips. This sensor-based system will enable seamless toll transactions without requiring vehicles to stop. Users must register their vehicles, connect bank accounts, and equip their vehicles with the necessary devices for the GPS-based tolling system.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/india/no-fastag-on-windshield-prepare-to-pay-double-the-toll-on-national-highways-11721310289231.html
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