Driving with a loose FASTag? Here's why it could cost you

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday said it has strengthened the process for reporting ‘loose FASTags’ or 'tag-in-hand' tags to ensure smooth toll operations across the country.

The state-owned agency said it has directed toll collecting agencies and concessionaires to immediately report FASTags that are not properly affixed on vehicle windscreens.

Based on these reports, the authority will initiate blacklisting or hotlisting of the reported tags.

FASTags are sometimes deliberately kept loose by owners instead of being fixed on the windscreen.

Such practices lead to lane congestion, false chargebacks, and misuse in closed-loop tolling systems, disrupting Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) operations.

This often leads to unnecessary delays at toll plazas and inconvenience to other national highway users.

"To ensure smooth tolling operations and strengthen reporting of 'loose FASTags', NHAI has further streamlined its policy for the Toll Collecting Agencies and Concessionaires to immediately report and blacklist 'loose FASTags', that are also commonly called tag-in-hand," it said.

NHAI has provided a dedicated Email ID and has directed the toll collection agencies and concessionaires to immediately report such FASTags.

"Based on the reports received, NHAI will take immediate action to initiate blacklisting/ hotlisting of the reported FASTags," it said.

The move comes in view of upcoming initiatives like the Annual Pass System and Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling, where FASTag authenticity and system reliability will be critical.

Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced that the government will introduce FASTag-based annual pass priced at ₹3,000 from August 15, 2025, for hassle-free highway travel.

The pass, designed for non-commercial private vehicles, will be valid for a year from the date of activation or up to 200 journeys, whichever is earlier.

A dedicated link for activation and renewal of annual pass will be live soon on the Rajmarg Yatra App and the official portals of NHAI and MoRTH.

"This policy addresses long-standing concerns regarding toll plazas located within a 60 km range and simplifies toll payments through a single, affordable transaction," Gadkari said.

"By reducing wait times, easing congestion, and minimizing disputes at toll plazas, the Annual Pass aims to deliver a faster and smoother travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners," he added.

Toll collection through FASTag on state and national highways jumped 19.6% to ₹20,681.87 crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (FY26), as per National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) data.

The total number of toll users also increased to 117.3 crore in the June quarter of FY26, up 16.2% from 100.98 crore in the year-ago period, the data showed.