The Maharashtra cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has decided to implement mandatory toll collection using FASTag across all 22 state-run highways starting from April 1. This move aims to bring transparency to toll collection, reduce congestion at toll plazas, and save time and fuel for commuters. According to a government statement, motorists who do not possess a FASTag will have to pay double the toll fee.
In addition to making FASTag mandatory, the Maharashtra cabinet also approved revised Rules of Business to streamline administrative processes. The proposal from the Public Works Department (PWD) stipulates that all toll plazas across the state will exclusively use FASTag for toll collection from the specified date. From April 1, toll collection at all toll plazas in Maharashtra will be handled solely through FASTag, India's electronic toll collection system for national highways.
A FASTag is a sticker tag governed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It is affixed to vehicles to eliminate human intervention in the road toll collection system. The FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to scan the tag from a distance and deduct toll fees directly from the vehicle owner's bank account or digital wallet. Currently, 23 banks in India operate the FASTag system.
The FASTag sticker is placed on a vehicle's windscreen and linked to a prepaid account. Toll payments are automatically collected via RFID as vehicles pass through the toll gates. In an ideal scenario, vehicles equipped with FASTag can pass through toll plazas without stopping. However, due to heavy traffic or occasional delays in scanning, there may be brief pauses at some toll booths.
The government has instructed the NHAI to convert all toll lanes across the national highway network into FASTag lanes. Once a user's FASTag account is active, the toll amount will be automatically deducted from the linked account or digital wallet whenever the vehicle passes through a FASTag-enabled toll plaza.
Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Works Department, stated that the new system will allow real-time data collection of toll transactions. This will help the government monitor toll collection effectively and ensure that revenue-sharing clauses in agreements with concessioners are properly enforced once collections reach certain thresholds.
According to officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the state government has faced challenges in implementing the revenue-sharing clause due to inaccurate toll-collection data provided by concessioners. Therefore, the new mechanism will help them access actual toll collection figures, increase revenue, and improve road maintenance.
Currently, tolls on state highways are collected in cash, with many toll plazas relying on manual processes. This has led to the involvement of anti-social elements at some toll booths. With the introduction of mandatory FASTag usage, these practices are expected to be reduced, improving overall transparency and efficiency in toll collection.
The implementation of FASTag across Maharashtra is a step toward modernizing the toll collection system, offering benefits to both the state and commuters.
(With inputs from various reports)
