Annual FASTag Pass - Nitin Gadkari
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been in the headlines for announcing the FASTag annual pass. For those unfamiliar, the initiative seeks to provide private car, jeep, and van owners with faster, cheaper, and more convenient highway travel. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, announced the pass in June, saying it will help to alleviate long-standing concerns about toll plazas within a 60-kilometer radius. Its goal is to reduce wait times, ease congestion, and simplify toll payments with a single prepaid transaction.
The Annual Pass will link to your existing active FASTag-registered vehicle. However, the validity will be limited to national highways and expressways under NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). If you are travelling via state highways and municipal toll roads, standard FASTag charges will be applied.
Starting August 15, users can purchase the pass through the Rajmarg Yatra app or the NHAI/MoRTH website. The vehicle number and FASTag ID must be provided, and a payment of Rs 3,000 can be made via UPI, debit/credit card, or net banking. Activation will be confirmed by SMS.
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The FASTag annual pass will be valid for 365 days or up to 200 toll crossing, whichever comes first making the travel faster. Just like the FASTag, it will also be contactless transactions.