Governance
FASTag Details for New Vehicle Registration
- 13 Jul 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has decided to ensure capturing of FASTag details while registering or issuing fitness certificates to vehicles all over the country.
- Besides facilitating smooth commutation/transit, use of electronic medium of FASTag payment, would also help in checking Covid-19 spread as cash payment is avoided.
FASTag
- Introduced in 2017, it is an electronic toll collection system with reloadable tag feature which allows automatic deduction of toll without having to stop for carrying out the cash transaction.
- The reloadable tag allows addition of monetary values multiple times.
- It is operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under the supervision of MoRTH.
- The tag uses Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology and is fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle once active.
- RFID is the use of radio waves to read and capture information stored on a tag attached to an object. A tag can be read from up to several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked.
- It is linked to a prepaid account from which the applicable toll amount is deducted.
- Consumers avoided using it following complaints of technical glitches, and money getting deducted twice from their bank accounts or e-wallets.
Key Points
- The MoRTH has directed the National Information Centre (NIC) to ensure details of the electronic toll collection device are captured on VAHAN portal.
- The full integration of National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) with VAHAN portal has been achieved and the portal is now getting all information on FASTags through Vehicle Identification Number/ Vehicle Registration Number (VIN/VRN).
- VAHAN Portal: It acts as an integrated solution for vehicle registration for the State Transport Department. It helps in various processes like fitness, taxes, permits & enforcement to get computerized.
- The State Transport Department is governed by both Central Motor Vehicle Regulation (CMVR) and state specific Motor Vehicle Regulation (State MVR).
- Consequently, VAHAN was conceptualized as a product that would capture the functionalities mandated by CMVR as well as state MVRs.
- National Electronic Toll Collection: It was developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 for electronic toll collection at toll plazas using FASTag.
