New Delhi, Aug 15 The Centre on Friday launched FASTag-based annual toll pass for private vehicles on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. The annual pass costs Rs 3,000.
Cars, jeeps and vans can use this facility at toll plazas operated by the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The pass is valid for one year from activation or 200 toll trips, whichever is earlier. On completion of the limit, the FASTag automatically switches to the standard pay per-trip mode.
For point-based toll plazas, every one-way crossing is considered as one trip and return as two trips. In closed and ticketed systems, the entire journey from entry to exit is considered as one trip.
Only non-commercial private vehicles are eligible for this pass and it will be given only to cars, jeeps and vans registered for private use.
It is valid on national highways and expressways managed by NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Toll plazas of state highways are not covered under it until they are integrated into the central FASTag system.
To purchase the pass, vehicle owners must have an active FASTag installed on the windscreen, linked to their registration number.
They must not be blacklisted from purchasing the pass. Some FASTags issued specifically for new vehicles may be registered only with the vehicle’s chassis number. Annual passes cannot be activated on such FASTags and they must be updated to include the full vehicle registration number.
The pass can be purchased through the Highway Yatra mobile app, the NHAI or Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website, or authorised FASTag issuer portals.
Payment for the pass (Rs 3,000) can be made through UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking. FASTag wallet balance cannot be used for this purpose. The activation is usually completed within two hours and is confirmed by SMS.
The average toll for a passenger vehicle is around Rs 50. Without a pass, 200 trips in a year would cost around Rs 10,000. With an annual pass, the fee is fixed at Rs 3,000, saving about Rs 7,000 for those travelling on the highway.
