The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that vehicles without FASTag stickers on their windscreens will now pay double the toll fee. The RFID-based FASTag system, mandatory for all vehicles on national highways, aims to reduce delays and improve traffic flow at toll plazas. The new guidelines come amid complaints that the current electronic toll collection system is not sufficiently easing congestion, as many drivers still hold up the FASTag sticker manually for scanning.
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In response to these issues, the NHAI will prominently display the new guidelines at toll plazas and use CCTV to enforce compliance. Meanwhile, the government plans to introduce a GPS-based toll collection system, which will automate toll payments based on distance traveled, directly debiting users’ bank accounts. This new system, already piloted on some highways, aims to further reduce congestion and increase revenue for the NHAI.