NHAI Directs All FASTag Issuer Banks to Validate Associated Vehicle Registration Numbers

The National Highways Authority of India is cracking down on sharing FASTags between multiple vehicles, which it says undermines its toll collection enforcement systems. The government department, which operates under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has instructed all banks that have issued FASTags to validate the registration numbers of the vehicles they are affixed to.

The move to shore up database accuracy comes as a response to frequent instances of equipment at toll collection points showing a vehicle registration number (VRN) that is different to the license plate of the car that is attempting to pass through.

While the authority concedes that validation mechanisms were limited and relied on manual inspection when FASTags first rolled out, the system has since been integrated with the national Vahan vehicle database, making reliable Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system data a priority. The end of cash payments, and upcoming technology-driven toll collection initiatives, such as the proposed Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling, per-kilometre billing, or a satellite-based system, will also depend on accurate information. Verified FASTag associations will be needed in order to issue e-Challans to non-compliant vehicles and establish other enforcement mechanisms.

The agency is considering applying penal provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, as such discrepancies could indicate efforts to avoid toll payments which interferes with government revenue collection.

All FASTag issuer banks will need to urgently undertake verification drives for all FASTags issued by them. They will also be responsible for blacklisting FASTags that are found to be linked with incorrect or invalid VRNs.