Now Fastag has been made mandatory in Mumbai, new rules are going to be implemented from 1 April. If people violate the rules, they will have to pay double toll tax. But is some vehicles exempted from fastag? In the next few days, the rules related to fastag are going to change, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has recently informed that from 1 April 2025, only the fastag system is being implemented at all toll plazas in Mumbai.
What is the purpose behind this move of fastag?
The main objective behind this step is to streamlin the toll payment and reduce the traffic congestion at toll booths. Changes in digital toll payment system are expected to accelerate the toll transaction process. People passing through toll plaza without fastag will have to pay double the toll amount. You will be able to pay double toll through cash, credit/debit card or UPI.
Who will get relief?
According to media reports, this rule does not apply to school buses, light motor vehicles and state transport buses. All these vehicles have been exempted from fastag at five major places entering Mumbai. It includes toll plazas of Mulund West, Mulund East, Aeroli, Dahisar and Vashi. Fastag system will be strictly implemented on major highways like Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Old Mumbai-Pune Highway and Mumbai-Nagpur Samriddhi Expressway.
Where can the fastag be purchased?
Fastag can be purchased through Paytm, Amazon or any banking app or website. After buying a fastag, you will be able to easily recharge your fastag through any payment app including PhonePe, Google Pay, Amazon Pay.
Know this thing, otherwise you will have to double toll
You should also keep this in mind before using Fastag. If your fastag gets blacklisted due to some reason and you recharge your fastag, it takes some time to update the status of your fastag. Even if the status is not updated, the payment is not deducted from the fastag and you may have to give double toll, if your fastag is blacklisted. So before leaving the house, recharge your fastag so that the status is updated till it reaches the toll and you can avoid paying double toll.
What is fastag?
Fastag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) based electronic toll collection system, which is placed on the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle reaches the toll plaza, it automatically deducts the toll fee from the linked account, so that the vehicle owner does not need to stop for the toll.
