- MoRTH extends the deadline for 100 per cent toll collection through Fastag

- Fastag was initially supposed to be compulsory for all four-wheelers starting 1 January, 2021

The government of India has extended the deadline for the complete collection of tolls via Fastags to 15 February, 2021. The previous deadline for the move was set as 1 January, 2021. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had also added that a Fastag would be compulsory for third-party insurance renewal from 2021.

The current share of Fastag based transactions stands in the range of 75-80 per cent. In a statement to NHAI, MoRTH has stated that the authorities can obtain the needed regulatory requirement to ensure 100 per cent cashless toll collection beginning from 15 February, 2021.

The government is currently in the process of converting all lanes excluding one on either side to dedicated Fastag lanes. Cars using the non-Fastag lane will be required to pay double the toll amount to discourage cash transactions.

For the uninitiated, a Fastag is mandatory for the registration of all new vehicles and is supplied by the car manufacturer or dealer. According to the government rules, the renewal of fitness certificate for transport vehicles will be done only after the Fastag has been fitted.