Zero human contact, safe payment mode: How NHAI’s FASTag works

National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) FASTag is India's electronic toll collection (ETC) system that allows the body to collect toll from passing vehicles easily, without causing any delay or long lines. This tech has been all the more vital in times like these when the need for social distancing is paramount since with FASTag, toll collection involves zero human contact.

Marking National Technology Day today, we look into one of India's home-grown, cost-effective technology solutions - the FASTag. FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to collect toll payments on national highways directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.

How does it work? There is a prepaid tag, fixed on the vehicles' windscreen that gets screened when a vehicle crosses the toll booth. This allows NHAI to automatically deduct the precise amount of money for the toll from the account linked to the vehicle's FASTag.

There is no need for the vehicle to stop and for the driver to hand over money and wait for change. This also ensures that there are no long lines at toll booths causing traffic jams. FASTag has also been the safest mode of toll collection during the pandemic and it is going to be used all the more extensively going forward.

A FASTag account can be recharged or topped up online and also payment apps like Paytm.

Movement of all essential goods and services takes place majorly through the road networks of the country. As India is gearing up for a life post the Covid-19 lockdown, NHAI foresees an increase of commercial and private vehicles on national highways in the coming days for which FAStag will become an important component.