FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!

[binand]

Originally Posted by aspire

Had updated the aadhaar a few days back, now seems this has to be done before 31st, good thing is the branch is very near to my home

As per latest GoI order, all 31/12/2017 deadlines for linking Aadhar to various banking/financial services have been shifted to 31/3/2018.

[aspire]

Originally Posted by binand

As per latest GoI order, all 31/12/2017 deadlines for linking Aadhar to various banking/financial services have been shifted to 31/3/2018.

Equitas really needs to set their house in order then, this message whose screenshot I posted, I had received today.

[binand]

Originally Posted by aspire

Equitas really needs to set their house in order then, this message whose screenshot I posted, I had received today.

You could send them a C&D. The relevant government notifications are attached. The first one removes the 31/12/2017 deadline, the second one notifies it as 31/3/2018.

Falsely claiming that 31/12/2017 is the deadline now is probably contempt of court. :-)

180799.pdf

180832.pdf

[rajesh1868]

Originally Posted by aspire

Had updated the aadhaar a few days back, now seems this has to be done before 31st, good thing is the branch is very near to my home

I too received this inspite of online updation. When I checked the 'My Profile' link in their portal, it shows by Aadhaar number. The KYC tab is not showing anything. I would rather wait and watch before going to the branch

[Prodigy07]

Just returned back from Bangalore to Chennai yesterday.

I used Fastag right from Electronics City till Sriperumbudur

Except Chennasamundram and Sriperumbudur toll, traffic in other toll plazas were pretty sparse!

Travelling on a weekday has its own merits

[rvlkiran]

I've got my Fastag from ICICI Bank in Sept 2017. I applied online. They assigned an agent to collect my documents (RC copy, ID/Address proof copy). It took a couple of weeks before I got my Fastag.

I recently drove from Bangalore (Whitefield) - Hyderabad - Bangalore, and the Fastag worked flawlessly. All the toll-booths have a Fastag lane (Some dedicated / some mixed). The lane marked as Fastag at Bagepalli was barricaded, I was asked to use the lane next to it, where my tag scanned OK. I notice that the dedicated lines at toll-booths have the Fastag detector / boom barrier quite ahead of the cash counter. At the mixed lanes (even though marked as Fastag), the detector / barrier is after the cashier window.

Attached, the toll prices as deducted. Please note that I skipped the Devanahalli toll-booth, as I drove via Budigere cross & Devanahalli village.

[ghodlur]

Not to discourage any Fastag holders but the Fastag lane at the tolls on the NH3 is a big joke. I travelled from Thane to Indore and came across 10 tolls which had Fastag lanes and found almost all the fastag lanes at these tolls occupied by heavy vehicles. There was no one to divert the traffic away from these lanes so that genuine fastag holders can use the lanes. So even after buying a fastag does not guarantee you smooth travel across the tolls. You still have to wait behind the heavy vehicles and loose precious time.

Is there some way the issue can be brought to any authorities?

[binand]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I travelled from Thane to Indore and came across 10 tolls which had Fastag lanes and found almost all the fastag lanes at these tolls occupied by heavy vehicles.

These heavy vehicles did not have Fastag? Down south you find many buses and trucks with valid (and invalid, and no-balance, and blocked) tags.

Anyway, of late many toll booths are making several (all is the intention) lanes ETC compatible.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Not to discourage any Fastag holders but the Fastag lane at the tolls on the NH3 is a big joke. I travelled from Thane to Indore and came across 10 tolls which had Fastag lanes and found almost all the fastag lanes at these tolls occupied by heavy vehicles. There was no one to divert the traffic away from these lanes so that genuine fastag holders can use the lanes. So even after buying a fastag does not guarantee you smooth travel across the tolls.

Sorry but the fact is this. It's mainly genuine Fastag trucks that wait at the Fastag queue most of the times. They are the biggest users of the tags followed by long haul buses. Cars form a very small number.

I have rarely seen a trucker enter a dedicated Fastag lane by mistake.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by binand

These heavy vehicles did not have Fastag? Down south you find many buses and trucks with valid (and invalid, and no-balance, and blocked) tags.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Sorry but the fact is this. It's mainly genuine Fastag trucks that wait at the Fastag queue most of the times.

I have rarely seen a trucker enter a dedicated Fastag lane by mistake.

I am sure these trucks did not have fastags. The reason being they were paying the toll charges as they passed by. Either the scanner was not operational to pick up the tag id or they did not have the tags.

At many tolls the fastag lanes were obstructed by a barrier with a person lowering the same for heavy trucks but again these trucks used to pay at the counter before they passed.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I am sure these trucks did not have fastags. The reason being they were paying the toll charges as they passed by. Either the scanner was not operational to pick up the tag id or they did not have the tags.

Yes, these instances are many where their tags don't get detected or authorized. The examples are many but in general NH trucks are well versed with this Fastag thing that would enter a dedicated lane by mistake.

At many tolls the fastag lanes were obstructed by a barrier with a person lowering the same for heavy trucks but again these trucks used to pay at the counter before they passed.

The dedicated system is now soon becoming history with all lanes getting scanners fixed. My drive to Aurangabad 2 days back, many booths had closed the dedicated lane and I had to take the adjacent lanes and I never paid but said Fastag and they allowed me within 5 seconds as soon as the sign displayed "Valid Tag".

These were the scenes on Monday last. Fastag lanes closed but still other lanes were Hybrid and I passed in under 5 seconds when my turn came.





Notice the Hybrid scanners in first pic for all lanes.

[binand]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

[Trucks] are the biggest users of the tags

Did a bit of back-of-the-envelop calculations here. A 4-axle car carrier from Gurgaon to Bangalore needs to pay about 11K in toll one-way (from TIS website). If we assume such a truck does two round trips a month, and a fleet owner has 10 suck trucks, then the total toll payment per month is 4.4L which in terms of cash flow and administration/accounting must be a fairly big problem. Hence their affinity for Fastags.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by binand

Did a bit of back-of-the-envelop calculations here. A 4-axle car carrier from Gurgaon to Bangalore needs to pay about 11K in toll one-way (from TIS website). If we assume such a truck does two round trips a month, and a fleet owner has 10 suck trucks, then the total toll payment per month is 4.4L which in terms of cash flow and administration/accounting must be a fairly big problem. Hence their affinity for Fastags.

Don't forget the Cash back .

I know how much a very popular Bus and Truck operator in KA pays each month towards toll alone and the number wasn't surprising at all. For them the cash back component alone is another huge saver.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Don't forget the Cash back .

I know how much a very popular Bus and Truck operator in KA pays each month towards toll alone and the number wasn't surprising at all. For them the cash back component alone is another huge saver.

How much is the cashback? It wont make much of a difference to us, but for fleet owners it does make a huge incentive.

I'm driving to Gandikota tomorrow, and will be using my Fastag for the first time. Let me see how it goes. I got the tag a couple of months ago.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

How much is the cashback? It wont make much of a difference to us, but for fleet owners it does make a huge incentive.

For current FY it's 7.5%. Last one it was the 10%.