New Delhi (NVI): Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today announced that FASTag will be made mandatory for all vehicles across the country from January 1, 2021.
Addressing a virtual event, Gadkari mentioned FASTag benefits and said using it will help commuters save time and fuel and they will not have to stop at toll plazas for cash payments, an official statement said.
Earlier in November, the Ministry of Transport had issued a notification making FASTag mandatory by January 1, 2021 in old vehicles also sold before December 1, 2017 through amendments in Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
As per the CMVR, 1989, since December 1, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registration of new four wheeled vehicles and is being supplied by the vehicle manuracturer or their dealers.
The ministry has also made the use of FASTag mandatory while getting a new third party insurance through an amendment in FORM 51 from April 1, 2021.
This would be a major step for ensuring that the payment of fees be 100 per cent at toll plazas through the electronic means only and that the vehicles pass seamlessly through the fee plaza. There would be no waiting time at the plazas and would save fuel, the Ministry Of Transport said in a statement.
“The steps for ensuring the availablity of FASTag at multiple channels are being made through physical locations and also through online mechanism so that the citizens are able to have them affixed at their vehicles within the next two months at their convenience, it added.
FASTag was launched in 2016 with four banks together issued nearly a lakh of them. By 2017, their numbers went up to seven lakha and over 34 lakh FASTags were issued in 2018, the ministry noted.
-RJV
