To ensure smooth tolling operations and strengthen reporting of ‘Loose FASTags’, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has further streamlined its policy for the Toll Collecting Agencies and Concessionaires to immediately report and blacklist ‘loose FASTags’, that are also commonly called “tag-in-hand”.
In view of upcoming initiatives like the Annual Pass System and Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling, it is critical to address this issue to ensure FASTag authenticity and system reliability, an official communique issued here on Friday said.
FASTags are sometimes deliberately not fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle by the owners. Such practices pose operational challenges leading to lane congestion, generation of false chargebacks, misuse in closed loop tolling system, causing overall disruption of the Electronic Toll Collection framework, resulting in unnecessary delays at toll plazas and inconvenience to other National Highway users.
To ensure timely corrective measures, the NHAI has provided a dedicated email ID and has directed the Toll Collection Agencies and Concessionaires to immediately report such FASTags, it said, adding that based on the reports received, the NHAI would take immediate action to initiate blacklisting / hotlisting of the reported FASTags.
With a penetration rate of over 98 percent, FASTag has revolutionized the Electronic Toll Collection system in the country.
Loose FASTags or “tag-in-hand” pose a challenge to the efficiency of Electronic Toll Collection operations and initiative will help to make toll operations more efficient, ensuring seamless and comfortable journeys for the National Highway users, the statement added.