The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has declared that it will deactivate FASTags for whom Know Your Customer (KYC) has not been completed. The deadline is January 31, according to the highway authority’s announcement. This is part of the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ campaign, which tries to prohibit using a single
FASTag for several cars or connecting various electronic toll collecting tools to a single vehicle. To alleviate inconvenience, the announcement stated that consumers must complete KYC for their most recent FASTag.
“Only the latest FASTag account shall remain active as previous tags will be deactivated/blacklisted after 31st January 2024,” according to the press release.
“One Vehicle, One FASTag”
To improve the efficiency of the electronic toll collection system and provide seamless movement at toll plazas, the NHAI has launched the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative, which aims to discourage users from using a single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to the same vehicle.
The highway developer is also urging FASTag customers to complete the ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) procedure for their latest FASTag by upgrading KYC in accordance with RBI rules.
This is done because FASTags with a legitimate balance but completed KYC will be deleted or banned by banks after January 31.
To minimise difficulty, customers must complete KYC for their most recent FASTag, according to a release from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
FASTag users must also adhere to the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ policy and delete all previously issued FASTags through their respective banks. The statement said that only the most recent FASTag account would be operational, and earlier tags will be deactivated/blacklisted after January 31, 2024.
The NHAI has launched this move in response to recent complaints of several FASTags being given for the same vehicle, as well as FASTags being issued without KYC in breach of the RBI regulation. Aside from that, FASTags are sometimes purposefully not installed on the vehicle’s windscreen, resulting in needless delays at toll plazas and aggravation to other National Highway users.
FASTag has revolutionised the country’s electronic toll collection system, with a penetration rate of about 98% and more than 8 crore customers. The ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ programme will assist to make toll operations more effective while also ensuring seamless and comfortable travels for National Highway users, according to the government.
Why did NHAI take this measure?
The highway authority stated that it initiated the step after learning that more than one FASTag had been given for a single vehicle, and that FASTags were being issued without KYC in breach of the RBI’s regulation.
The NHAI further stated that FASTags are sometimes purposefully not secured to the vehicle’s windscreen, resulting in needless delays at toll plazas and discomfort to motorists utilising national roads.
What is a FASTag?
It is a pre-paid tag facility for automobiles that enables for continuous traffic flow without the need to wait at toll booths. It is a breakthrough move that use Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to automatically deduct the toll fee.
After taking measures to digitise toll collecting, the federal government mandated FASTags on February 15, 2021, stating that any vehicle not equipped with them will be charged double the toll at electronic toll plazas across the country.
How to check FASTag status?
- Users can visit a dedicated website https://fastag.ihmcl.com
- To login, details like registered mobile number and password are needed. Authorisation will be done through OTP.
- After logging in, navigate to dashboard, where a section called “My Profile” will be available.
- This will show a user’s KYC status and profile details submitted through the registration process.
What to do if KYC is pending?
- In the Profile section, a sub-section called KYC will allow users to update their KYC.
- Users will need to fill various fields by submitting required identity and address proof documents. A passport-sized photo will also be required.
- Before clicking on Submit, users need to check and confirm the declaration.
- After clicking on Proceed, KYC verification process will be completed by submitting the required documents.
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