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FASTag: How Will It Change The Way You Drive On Highways From December 1
20 Nov 2019, 03:53 PM IST 
FASTag gives convenience and ease while going through toll plaza to the customer.
- The decision has been taken in order to promote faster payment of fees through the digital mode so that vehicles can move through seamlessly, and traffic jams at the toll plazas can be prevented. (Also Read: FASTag Mandatory From December 1. Here Is How You Can Buy FASTag)
- It is found that currently, even non-FASTag users are passing through FASTag lanes and making cash payments. This is leading to crowding of such lanes and overall traffic congestion at the plaza, defeating the purpose of the FASTag lanes.
- According to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, a FASTag lane in a toll plaza is reserved exclusively for the movement of FASTag users.
- As per the announcement, among all lanes, one 'hybrid lane' will be allowed at every toll plaza to facilitate and monitor over-dimensional or oversized vehicles, where FASTag and other modes of payment will be accepted. This lane will also be converted into FASTag-only lane in a time-bound manner, according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- The radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based FASTag is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle. It allows for direct payment of fee from the prepaid or savings account linked to it and enables vehicles to drive through without stopping for transactions.
- The tag, which can be purchased from tag issuers, is multi layered and is made out of good quality paper, containing chip and antenna inside its layers.
- Through radio-frequency identification method, the information is read at the toll plaza from the tag.
- FASTag gives convenience and ease while going through toll plaza to the customer along with saving time, fuel and money.
- All the major banks are offering the FASTag payment facilities. State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are part of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) initiative rolled out by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), under the guidelines of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL).
- State Bank of India (SBI) - the country's largest lender - charges a fee of Rs 100 (including all applicable taxes) for the issuance of the RFID tag (FASTag) across categories, according to its net banking website - onlinesbi.com.
