Centre seeks help in enforcing FASTag scheme from Feb 15

LUCKNOW: Emphasizing the point that the fee collection at all the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) toll-plazas would be only through FASTags from February 15, the Central government on Friday asked states to provide support in enforcing the new provision, said those in the know of things in the government here.

Secretary, road transport and highways, Girdhar Armane has written a letter to states’ chief secretaries and officials in this regard, seeking their cooperation in the implementation of the new service. The letter received by the chief secretary office here reads: “With effect from February 15, 2021, fee collection system at all fee plazas of National Highways will be through FASTags alone.”

It further said, “Implementation of this rule would require unstinted support of enforcement agencies of the state government. This ministry and NHAI shall provide necessary facilitation for this purpose. I shall be grateful if necessary directions are issued in this regard to the agencies concerned in your state.”

Armane has reiterated in the letter that the Government of India has mandated fitness of FASTags on all category “M” (vehicles carrying passengers) and “N” (vehicles carrying goods) motor vehicles with effect from January 15, 2021. This initiative, he pointed out, was aimed to improve logistic efficiency and travel experience.

“The ministry has taken several measures to promote adoption of FASTags, e.g, establishment of 40,000 points- of- sale (PoS), facilitating online purchase, etc owing to which FASTag penetration has reached 80%,” he claimed. FASTags, he said, had led to reduction in waiting time, fuel consumption and pollution level at fee plazas.

Transport commissioner Dheeraj Sahu said he had already issued directions to his field staff asking them to help authorities implement FASTags scheme in the state.