More than 77 lakh annual FASTag passes have been issued by June, with 63 crore transactions recorded at National Highway Fee Plazas, as per information shared in Parliament. Around 33% of Electronic Toll Collection transactions for cars, jeeps, and vans are annual pass transactions, improving operational efficiency and user convenience, stated Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set up various grievance redressal mechanisms to handle user fee-related issues on National Highways.
Presently, the government has implemented a FASTag-based electronic toll collection system to ensure operational integrity and transparency in user fee collection on National Highways. More than 98% of user fee collection is done through FASTag under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program. All FASTag transactions are securely processed through a system involving Toll Management System Software, Acquirer Bank, NPCI as Central Clearing House, and FASTag Issuer Bank.
The Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system mandates the involvement of all stakeholders – Acquirer Bank at user fee plaza, NPCI, and Issuer Bank – for every FASTag transaction, ensuring a transparent process. To enhance toll operations and facilitate seamless vehicle movement, the government plans to implement MLFF through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) with AI analytics and RFID-based Electronic Toll Collection (FASTag), enabling barrier-less tolling for users without the need to stop, slow down, or stay in a specific lane.
