FASTag for Car Owners – Is it a boon or bane?

What is a FASTag? 

FASTag is a prepaid rechargeable tag for toll collection. It is a sticker affixed on the windscreen of your car. It is also vehicle specific and it cannot be transferred to another vehicle. Whenever your vehicle crosses the toll plaza, the automatic scanner scans the FASTag that allows automated payment deduction. So, there is no vehicle stopping or the toll operator touching the tag. You can have a hassle-free trip.  

How it works?

With the help of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, an activated FASTag works efficiently. It ensures smooth sailing on the road and minimizes the waiting time at the toll booth.  This system tames corruption and provides protection against crimes and mishaps.

FASTags mandatory from January 15

The announcement from the Road Transport Minister that FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles, from January 15, has caused traffic snarls at the toll plazas in various places in India.  All car owners need to have an active FASTag on their windshield by the deadline. Though the benefit of affixing FASTags on the windscreens enable easy passage through a toll booth, few FASTag lanes in toll plazas are unable to scan the FASTags, causing a snail-paced vehicular movement. 

Don’t have a FASTag?

What if you don’t have an active FASTag but entered a FASTag enabled lane? You will need to pay double the amount of toll fee by cash. There are a few instances where the FASTag scanner is not working properly, which forces the car owners to use the regular lane, which is inconvenient. Sometimes the scanner does not pick up a valid FASTag with sufficient balance in it, costing time. There may be a system failure affecting the customers. FASTag is a sticker that can get tampered or damaged. It may become unusable.  

Since RFID technology depends on the network, all the systems are operated through an automated network. Any technical failure of the network may cause difficulty in the smooth workflow. If the system is reliable and robust, these technical glitches can be fixed easily. Depending on their experiences, for some, it is a boon and for others, it is a bane.