Re: FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it! Not sure if this has been discussed before but here goes…
So I have experience with FasTag procurement, top up, damage, and replacement for 2 new vehicles and it has been driving me mad, so figured what better place than here to vent!
As I understand it, manufacturers have been informed that no new vehicle can be delivered without a FasTag being issued against it. So the dealer gets the FasTag issued against the VIN of the vehicle. And this leads to a litany of issues, mostly if the Tag is issued by PayTM or such other digi intermediaries, but sometimes also if issued by a Bank depending on the issue. If the issuer of the Tag is a Bank, the problem is less acute because banks have a desktop FasTag portal which, depending on the bank may be less or more user friendly but at least allows you to address all these issues. It is when we shift to mobile apps – and let’s face it, most of us would want that and not be stuck to a desk to manage our Tags – that these problems become stark.
Problem 01: None of the mobile apps, including of Banks (at least ICICI and IDFC) allow you to use the app if you are a customer solely for FasTag. So, for example, if you do not have a bank account with ICICI Bank, but the dealer gets the Tag issued from ICICI Bank, you cannot top up the tag or otherwise manage it from the bank’s mobile app – for which it appears you need to complete full KYC (like a regular banking customer). So to top up this Tag, you need to hit the Bank’s desktop portal every time, else try and use a wallet. Which is a nice segue into the second problem.
Problem 02: Yes, if the Tag was issued by a Bank, the Bank’s page shows the VIN and other details and that’s fine. But if you try to top up the Tag using a wallet, the VIN is inadequate. You can do so ONLY by feeding in the registration number of the vehicle. This despite (from what I hear) all new FasTags being issued against a VIN these days! So update the VIN to the registration number, you say? Ok, let’s go to problem 03.
Problem 03: It is not possible to update registration details of the vehicle on a mobile app. Yes, you can update the details of the Tag from VIN to registration number if the Tag was issued by a Bank, on that Bank’s desktop portal. While it can be a complicated process – depending on the bank, it is less so or more so – but it is at least possible there. But with PayTM (that is Tags issued by PayTM Bank) there is no option to update the details of the vehicle, post registration! By itself this is not a problem since Tags issued by PayTM Bank do show up on the app, but if you want to top up another Tag issued against a VIN? Or…, let us proceed to the fourth problem.
Problem 04: Reissue of Tags is allowed only against registration numbers and not VIN. Let us say the Tag is damaged – due to improper affixing (not unheard of) or due to sun film application (a more common issue). If you now want a Tag reissued, and try to do so on any mobile app, this is ONLY possible if the registration number is fed in. Which means, for PayTM issued Tags, it is not possible at all, and for Bank issued tags, you have to first go through the process of updating the records. Ok, so do not go for reissue, ask for issue of a fresh Tag, you say? Leads to problem 05.
Problem 05: One can have 2 Tags issued against the same vehicle. So, EVEN if there is already a FasTag issued against the VIN, one can still go and get a new FasTag issued against the SAME vehicle using its registration number! I myself have done this because my first Tag got damaged on one of my vehicles. Yes, this is more a systemic issue than a consumer issue – it is definitely better than the alternative of the customer not having a FasTag at all – but in effect you can have 2 Tags issued against every new vehicle in the country!!
Obviously, running both Tags simultaneously at the cost of the owner is next to impossible, but running the second Tag per se (without having the owner pay for it) while difficult, is not impossible. This can lead to incorrect data on number of vehicles on the road, possible security issues etc.
Now my question is, if this entire project was rolled out afresh – it was started from scratch in 2014, with the pilot being between AMD and BOM, if I am not mistaken – why build it in such a cumbersome manner?
Would it be that difficult to make FasTag mandatory only post registration? The customer is then incentivised to quickly get registration done, else all toll road travel will have to be done on cash basis (with time and penalty costs).
Else, mandate all issuers and wallets to accept the VIN OR the registration numbers of the vehicles? A quicker solve but not sure if the database interface for this at the backend is ready, was considered, and if not done at inception is now possible at all.
In the meantime, the key takeaway is to ensure that one gets a new FasTag issued ONLY from a universal bank. At least that way, updating the records from VIN to registration number is possible on the bank’s desktop portal.
So there’s my rant. Happy to hear the community’s thoughts on whether I am overreacting or if others have faced this issue as well, and solved it with more alacrity and less frustration than I have.
Cheers,
Gnashman |