The central government has provided significant relief to drivers without FASTags. Now, if a vehicle lacks a FASTag or it’s not working, instead of paying double the toll tax in cash at toll plazas, paying using UPI will only require 1.25 times the toll tax. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification regarding this. This new system will be implemented at toll plazas across the country starting November 15th.
What is the new rule?
Under the old rules, if a vehicle didn’t have a Fastag or it wasn’t valid, it had to pay double the normal toll fee in cash, which was considered a significant penalty. However, now vehicles without Fastags or with inactive Fastags can pay 1.25 times the toll fee through UPI. This means that double toll tax will no longer be charged when paying via UPI.
For example, if the toll fee is ₹100, previously, the penalty for not having a Fastag was ₹200. However, now, if you pay using UPI, you’ll only have to pay ₹125.
Promoting digital payments
This government decision is considered crucial in increasing toll collection and making it more customer-friendly. While it will promote digital payments, it will also curb fraudulent transactions at toll plazas, potentially increasing toll collection. Furthermore, this new facility is expected to reduce toll plaza travel time. Currently, FASTag penetration in the country has reached approximately 98%.
