ONE VEHICLE, ONE FASTAG INITIATIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: he National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rolled out the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ scheme.

One Vehicle, One FASTag Initiative

• About: The NHAI has taken this initiative after the recent reports of multiple FASTags being issued for a particular vehicle and FASTags being issued without KYC in violation of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) mandate.
• Aim: To discourage user behaviour of using single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a particular vehicle.
• Objective: To enhance efficiency of the Electronic Toll Collection system and provide seamless movement at the Toll Plazas.

 FASTag

• About: FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, managed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), utilizing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
• Payment Mechanism: FASTag facilitates toll payments directly from the linked prepaid or savings account or directly from the toll owner, employing RFID technology.
• Dedicated Lanes: Dedicated lanes for FASTag users have been established at select toll plazas, streamlining the toll collection process.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

• About: It was established under the NHAI Act in 1988, marking its inception as the apex body for highway management in India. It’s headquarter is located in Delhi.
• Autonomous Organization: NHAI operates autonomously, functioning independently within the framework of its statutory mandate, thereby ensuring efficient management of the nation's highway network.