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FASTags
Why in the news ?
- As per the latest data, around 26 lakh cars and trucks now use the radio frequency identification device (RFID)based FASTag system on windscreen to shorten their journey time.
What is FASTag ?
- A FASTag is a reloadable tag that automatically deducts toll charge and allows a vehicle to pass through a toll gate without stopping for the payment.
- It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to make cashless payments through a prepaid account linked to it.
- The tag is fixed to the windscreen of a vehicle and an RFID antenna in the canopy of the toll gate scans the QR code and the tag identification number, following which the boom barrier lifts to allow a vehicle to pass through.
- The tag, which is valid for five years, comes in seven different colours — violet, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, black.
- Each colour is assigned to a particular category of vehicles.
More on news
- According to an official statement, FASTag users can experience ‘near’ nonstop movement at 405 of the 479 toll plazas on various national highways.
- When a vehicle approaches a toll plaza on a national highway, it can use dedicated FASTag lanes to avoid stopping to pay a toll tax.
- However, the technology being currently used in India still requires one to slow down to a speed of 10 km per hour as the toll plaza antennae has a range of only six metres.
- Once the vehicle passes through a toll booth, the user receives an SMS alert regarding the charge debited to his or her account.
- To encourage the use of FASTags, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) refunds 5% of the total monthly transactions.
Issues
- Some users say that the promise of seamless travel is only in theory and the ground reality is very different.
- Many plazas don’t have a dedicated lane for RFID tags, which means that one still has to wait in a queue along with other vehicles which need to stop to make cash transaction.
- Also, at many places RFID readers don’t work because concessionaires are not keen to switch to the new technology.
Source
The Hindu