Thursday, May 04, 2023
By Kamal Swami
Highest FASTag Collection By NHAI In A Single Day
According to reports, last month National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) earned a record revenue through toll collection using FASTags. From the sources of NHAI on April 29, the total toll collection of Rs 193.15 crore, was made by NHAI after it initiated RFID-based toll collection on all national highways and expressways in February 2021. During the same day, more than one crore of payments were registered through FASTag, marking a new record for daily transactions.
FASTag was made mandatory for all vehicles moving on highways and expressways managed by NHAI. The system was implemented to reduce long queues at toll plazas and save fuel and time. Currently, there are over 140 parking lots in 50 cities across India that use the FASTag technology as a seamless and secure contactless payment mode.
The RFID-based toll payment system utilises radio-frequency identification technology, and scanners mounted at every toll plaza scan the code on FASTag stickers to deduct the toll fee from the user's bank account linked to the FASTag ID. As of now, FASTag has nearly seven crore users in India, and its penetration is approximately 97 per cent, according to NHAI.
The NHAI is now working to implement the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for toll collection. This system is far more advanced than FASTag and makes toll plazas redundant. The new system will use scanners on highways and expressways to scan a vehicle's registration plate and charge the toll fee depending on the distance it has travelled.
