Aided by FASTag, India’s toll collection registered an all time high of Rs 3,356 crore in October 2021 from around 21.42 crore transactions. The record toll collection is pointed out to be the outcome of increased economic and transportation activities across the country, after a long period of lockdown subsequent to the Covid 19 pandemic. According to the Government of India, the record high toll collection points to the fast recovery of the country from the pandemic.
Media reports quoting government sources said that toll collection through FASTag recorded 193.6 million transactions amounting to Rs 3,000 crore in September this year, while in August, the transactions through FASTag were 201.2 million amounting to Rs 3,076.56 crore.
India made FASTags compulsory across the whole country from February 15 this year. Presently, the toll plazas on national highways and state highways collect toll fees through FASTags only. The government says the FASTag implementation has significantly reduced the waiting time on national highways and increased transparency as well.
As many as 722 toll plazas on national highways and 196 toll plazas on state highways across India collect toll fees through FASTag at present. While around 82 per cent of the total toll fee collected comes from commercial vehicles and heavy vehicles, cars contribute nearly 18 per cent of the total toll collection. Since the implementation of FASTag, revenue collection from toll plazas has spiked steeply.
The FASTag sticker carries a chip linked to the user’s bank account or digital wallet. As the vehicle passes through a toll plaza, the instruments at the location senses the chip through radio signals and debits the required toll fee directly from the user’s bank account or digital wallet.
FASTag is part of the Narendra Modi government’s strategy to enhance digital transactions across different sectors. The FASTags are issued by various banks and digital wallet aggregators.