FASTag mandatory for vehicles from January 1: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that FASTags will be mandatory for vehicles from January 1, 2021.

Making the announcement, Gadkari enumerated the benefits of the FASTags.

Besides saving time and fuel, Gadkari said FASTags will ensure that commuters need not stop at toll plazas for cash payments. 

The FASTags were launched in the year 2016. Four banks together issued nearly a lakh of them. By 2017, their numbers went up to seven lakh. Over 34 lakh FASTags were issued in 2018.

Gadkari's ministry had issued a notification in November this year making FASTag mandatory by January 1, 2021, in old vehicles also sold before December 1, 2017, through amendments in CMVR, 1989.

As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, since 1st December 2017, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registration of new four-wheeled Vehicles and is being supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers. 

It had further been mandated that the renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after the fitment of FASTag for the Transport Vehicles.