National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently started the ‘One Vehicle One FASTag’ initiative to enhance efficiency of Electronic Toll Collection system.
About ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative:
- NHAI has taken ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative that aims to discourage user behavior of using single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a particular vehicle.
- With penetration rate of around 98 percent and over 8 crore users, FASTag has revolutionized the Electronic Toll Collection system in the country.
- This would enhance efficiency of the Electronic Toll Collection system and provide seamless movement at the Toll Plazas.
- NHAI also encouraged FASTag users to complete ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) process of their latest FASTag by updating KYC as per RBI guidelines.
- FASTags with valid balances but with incomplete KYC will get deactivated/blacklisted by banks post-31st January 2024.
- FASTag users must also comply with ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ and discard all the earlier issued FASTags through their respective banks.
- Only the latest FASTag account shall remain active as previous tags will be deactivated/blacklisted after 31st January 2024.
Need for the initiative:
- There were reports of multiple FASTags being issued for a particular vehicle and/or issued without KYC in violation of RBI’s mandate.
- FASTags are sometimes deliberately not fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle, resulting in unnecessary delays at the toll plazas and causing inconvenience to fellow users.
- This will help to make toll operations more efficient and ensure seamless & comfortable journeys for the National Highway users.
About National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):
- NHAI was set up by the NHAI Act, 1988 for the development, maintenance and management of national highways and connected matters.
- Objective: To ensure best industry practices as transparency of process, adoption of bid criteria to ensure healthy competition in award of contracts, and implementation of projects.
- The total length of NH (including expressways) in India is 1,44,634 km.
- While Highways/Expressways constitute only about 1.7% of the length of all roads, they carry about 40% of the road traffic.
Functions:
- To develop, maintain, and manage National Highways vested in it by the Government.
- To collect fees on National Highways, regulate and control the plying of vehicles.
- To develop and provide consultancy and construction services in India and abroad and carry on research activities with the development, maintenance, and management of highways.
Ref: Source
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