- Fastag users will be allowed to pass through toll plazas if the balance is non-negative
- Fastag was recently introduced at Mumbai toll plazas
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has removed the mandatory minimum amount for the FASTag account or wallet, which was paid by the user in addition to the security deposit for the passenger segment.
The Fastag, which is issued by various banks, were unilaterally mandating a minimum amount value for the FASTag account/wallet, in addition to the security deposit amount. As a result, many FASTag users were not allowed to pass through a toll plaza, in spite of having sufficient balance in their FASTag account. This resulted in delays at the toll plazas.
It has been decided that the users will now be allowed to pass through the toll plaza if the FASTag account or wallet balance is non-negative. After crossing the toll plaza, if the account balance becomes negative, the bank can recover the amount from the security deposit, which should be replenished at the time of the next recharge by the user.
As payment on toll plazas through FASTag will become mandatory from 15 February, 2021, NHAI is targeting to achieve 100 per cent cashless payment at toll plazas across the country. Fastags are now accepted at Mumbai toll plazas too, details of which are available here.