Toll plaza traffic may soon be thing of past; National Highways to have Fastags from Dec 1
To provide seamless traffic at toll gates at National Highways, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has come up with the initiative of National Electronic Toll Collection or Fastag program. It would be implemented all over India at various national highways to avoid bottleneck at toll gates. Under this program, all the four wheelers, crossing the toll gates, must have FASTags attached on its windshield. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made FASTags mandatory for four wheelers from December 1.
What is FASTag?
FASTag stickers are the digital mode of payment at toll gates, avoiding vehicles to stop at the toll plaza of National Highways. The Ministry has introduced this to ensure non-stop movement of vehicles at toll gates with cashless payments. All you need to do is to get FASTag stickers and paste it on the windshield of four-wheelers and heavy vehicles. The sensors at the booths will identify the vehicles and the payment will be made digitally. After which the boom gates of the lane will open for the vehicles to pass through.
How and where to purchase FASTag?
FASTags can be purchased from 28,500 point of sale locations set up at various banks, the National Highway and the Indian Highways Management Corporation Ltd, a company set up by NHAI. These locations includes all NH fee plazas, RTOs, common service centres, bank branches, transport hubs and selected petrol bunks. You can also visit the website -- ihmcl.com or call the National Highway Helpline number 1033 for further details.
How to buy FASTag online?
Apart from the from 28,500 locations, you can also buy the FASTag online by visiting the website of Amazon and various member banks like SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Paytm Payment Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC First Bank among others.
How to recharge FASTags?
National Highway Authority of India/IHMCL has developed UPI recharge facility through My FASTag App for recharge. FASTag can also be recharged through NetBanking, Credit / Debit Card, UPI and other popular modes of payment by visiting the respective bank's portal.
What are the benefits of FASTags?
- With the help of FASTag, the vehicles will not need to stop at the toll gates to make payment.
- The digital mode of payment will make it convenient for people to get through the toll plaza without worrying about cash.
- The use of paper will also be reduced as sensors at FASTags lanes will transact digitally.
- The main aim is to reduce long queues at the toll plaza, which will save the time of the commuters.
- On recharging the FASTag stickers, users will get many types of cashback and other offers.
What is My FASTag App?
By downloading the My FASTag App, you can find out the nearest sales point. UPI recharge facility is also available in this app. You can download this app from play store in your smartphone.
How to earn money from FASTag?
Apart from paying money at toll plaza, you can also earn money with the flagship initiative, FASTag program. With a simple investment of Rs 50,000, you can be a FASTag point of sale agent. The three most important things a FASTag point of sale agent must have are -- 1 laptop or computer system, printer and a biometric device. Any Indian citizen can be FASTag point of sale agent if he/she has the mentioned items in addition with Rs 50,000.
It is to be noted that those who are experienced in marketing or presently working as RTO agent, car dealer, employed at car decor, transport, PUC centre, fueling station, insurance agent point of sale agent, will be given preferences.
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