Isn’t it frustrating to wait in the unending queue while you wait to pay the toll? Add to that the blaring horns, toxic fumes, the fuel you end up wasting and so on. But may soon be a thing of past as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has come up with a solution to reduce the wait, if not eradicate the aforementioned issues completely.
FASTag, a cashless payment system will now be operational at 275 toll plazas across the country. The 100 of the remaining toll plazas spread across the country too will benefit from this system within a period of one year. Customers can purchase the FASTag by paying a one time fee of Rs. 200 after which they will receive a sticker. This sticker will have to be pasted on the windscreen of the vehicle.
The NHAI is said to be giving a 10% cash-back which seems to be a decent incentive if not for the other savings that you are likely to make while zipping through the toll plaza. The only condition for the cash back stands that it will be credited back to the respective account at the start of the next month.
A tie-up with banks such as ICICI and Axis bank has also taken place for providing the service. Hence a user can purchase the FASTag not only from the toll plazas but also from select branches of these banks. The recharge amount, which is accepted by cash as well as cheque, will be applicable for a amount beginning at Rs. 100 and going all the way up to Rs. 1 lakh, with the latter being only for commercial vehicles.