To deter national highway users from deliberately not fixing FASTag on the windscreens of their vehicles, NHAI has issued guidelines to collect double the user fee from such defaulters entering the toll lanes, the ministry of road transport and highways announced on Thursday.
The ministry explained that deliberate non-affixation of FASTag on the windscreen leads to unnecessary delays at the toll plazas, causing inconvenience to fellow national highway users.
“Detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to all User Fee Collection Agencies and Concessionaires to charge double user fee in case of non-affixation of FASTag on the front windshield,” MoRTH said in a statement.
The information will also be prominently displayed at all user fee plazas, informing highway travellers about the penalties for non-compliance of entering a toll lane without a fixed FASTag on the front windshield.
In addition, CCTV footage with the vehicle registration number (VRN) will be recorded at the fee plaza of the non-affixed FASTag cases.
“This will help in maintaining proper record regarding the fee charged and presence of the vehicle in the toll lane,” said the statement.
In accordance with already established rules, the National Highways Authority of India aims to enforce the standard procedural guidelines for affixation of FASTag on the front windshield of the assigned vehicle from the inside.
Any FASTag that is not affixed on the assigned vehicle as per standard process is not entitled to carry out electronic toll collection (ETC) transactions at a user fee plaza and will have to pay double the toll fee as well as can be duly blacklisted.
“Issuer banks have also been directed to ensure fixation of the FASTag to the assigned vehicle on the front windshield at the time of issuance from various Point-of-Sale (POS),” the ministry said.
NHAI collects user fees on national highways as per the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. At present, user fee is collected for approximately 45,000 km of national highways and expressways at around 1,000 toll plazas across the country.
With a penetration rate of around 98 per cent and over eight crore users, FASTag has revolutionised the electronic toll collection system in the country. Officials say this initiative of charging double the user fee for non-affixation of FASTag will help make toll operations more efficient and ensure seamless and comfortable journeys for national highway users.
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