No worries about those new FASTag rules! The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways just cleared things up, saying the recent circular from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) won’t mess with your experience at toll plazas.
Recharge Anytime, Anywhere (Well, Almost!)
Forget those rumors about your FASTag being declined if it’s inactive for a bit. You can recharge your FASTag anytime before hitting a national highway toll plaza. This is because all national highway tolls use the ICD 2.5 protocol, which provides real-time tag status. So, your recharge gets recognized instantly.
What’s the NPCI Circular Really About?
The NPCI’s circular, effective February 17, 2025, isn’t there to trip you up. Instead, it’s designed to smooth out disputes between banks regarding FASTag status and to make sure transactions are processed quickly after you pass through a toll. It’s all about making the system more efficient behind the scenes.
State Highways Getting an Upgrade
While national highways are good to go, some state highway tolls still use an older system (ICD 2.4 protocol) that needs periodic updates for tag status. But don’t fret – the government plans to upgrade all these state highway tolls to ICD 2.5 soon.
Go Auto-Recharge for Ultimate Convenience!
To make life even easier, the ministry is pushing for users to link their FASTag wallets to UPI, current, or savings accounts with an auto-recharge facility. This way, you won’t even have to think about manual recharges. Of course, you can still recharge manually using UPI and net banking if that’s your jam.
Essentially, the government wants you to know that FASTag is still all about seamless, electronic toll payments, reducing congestion, and making your journeys smoother. These new clarifications are just about fine-tuning the system, not creating hurdles for you!