Road ministry extends FASTag deadline to February 15

The deadline for compulsory use of FASTag to pay toll on national highways has been extended to February 15, 2021.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway had earlier set January 1, 2021, as the deadline, which has now been extended by 45 days.

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As per the original plan, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was expected to completely the switch to FASTag payment at toll plazas from January 1, which meant FASTags needed to be retrofitted on all four-wheelers and commercial vehicles.

Currently, about 75-80 per cent of all toll payments happen via FASTag. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway will provide full authority to the NHAI to ensure 100 per cent cashless toll collection starting February 15.

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After the deadline, all lanes except one lane on each side will be dedicated FASTag lanes. Vehicles using the non-FASTag lanes will be liable to pay double the normal toll.

The government is aggressively promoting FASTags for smoother flow of traffic at toll plazas and savings on fuel. FASTags were made compulsory for all new four-wheelers sold after December 1, 2017, and had to be retrofitted by the manufacturer or at the dealer level before being delivered to the customer.

The government has now made it compulsory for all four-wheelers, including vehicles sold or manufactured before December 1, 2017, to have FASTags.