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

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

Asking all experienced folks for advice.

I am not sure which is the best location on the windscreen to paste the Fastag. Some say center, some say passenger side. The OEM tag comes pasted on passenger side though a dud.

Based on the experiences could you all please advice which is the best?

Also is it required to remove the OEM RFID tag? Would it interfere?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Center would be ideal to be read by mounted readers on the toll booth. Passenger side is also fine, and would help easy access in case of hand held readers used by operators because they approach you from drivers side.

Mine is 10 year old vehicle, do not have OEM RFid. but general logic is do not remove that.

[binand]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

I am not sure which is the best location on the windscreen to paste the Fastag. Some say center, some say passenger side.

I had asked this exact question here when I got my tag. :-)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ml#post4127063 (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

I eventually placed it on the top left corner (looking from inside) of the windshield.

• I don't like pasting anything on the right side - as it is the A pillar is a massive blind spot; I don't want to worsen that problem. In fact I don't like stuff like parking stickers, service center junk etc. too and promptly remove them (or not paste them at all).
  
• In the center I felt the tag will block the viewport of my dashcam. Plus this requires the toll booth staff to lean over the vehicle to manually scan.

So left it is. But the problem is that if the toll booth operator has to use the hand-held scanner, they have to come out of their cabin to scan (or you have to place the vehicle just right). At the right side they can scan by just leaning out of their window. But in most toll booths I see a separate individual operating the hand-held scanner (and not the person sitting inside collecting cash toll).

Haven't noticed any inefficiency in automatic scanning because of the tag placement. It affects only manual scanning.

Edit: Where automatic scanning works and the dedicated lane is access controlled by a staff member, I lean over and tap the tag while approaching the lane. This motion alerts the person that my car does have the tag and they clear the lane without me having to stop.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

Asking all experienced folks for advice.

Use transparent cello tape to paste it so that at later point if required you can change the location of the tag. Otherwise the tag will get damaged while removing it.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

Asking all experienced folks for advice.

I am not sure which is the best location on the windscreen to paste the Fastag. Some say center, some say passenger side. The OEM tag comes pasted on passenger side though a dud.

Based on the experiences could you all please advice which is the best?

Also is it required to remove the OEM RFID tag? Would it interfere?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

It has to be affixed behind the IRVM as in that position, it does not interfere with the line of vision of the driver. NHAI has mandated so and this is the only legally permissible position.
I have used fastag extensively on both types of vehicles, with and without OEM RFID, and never faced any issue. Of course, with fastag being behind the IRVM.
Do not remove the OEM RFID. Is it causing you any inconvenience?

[nareshtrao]

Since most of the earlier links and pictures show a squarish Fastag, I thought I will post a picture of the new one I got today

[binand]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

It has to be affixed behind the IRVM as in that position, it does not interfere with the line of vision of the driver. NHAI has mandated so and this is the only legally permissible position.

Can you please post a link to this NHAI mandate? Been looking for it but haven't found it.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by Glifford

Again as promised, here are the details:
Whatever advantage the Axis bank FASTag had in giving the sticker and setting up the account, was (almost) lost in the process of gaining access to the online application.

Another tale of how to get a FASTag


The things that didn't work

I registered on ICICI FASTag portal in Dec 16. No reponse from ICICI
I registered again on 1st April 17 and I got a SMS saying someone will contact me in 2 days.
Silence....
I gave up on ICICI and followed the steps provided by @Glifford

I registered on AXIS FASTTag portal
Steps
Goto https://etc.axisbank.co.in/ETC/Login...NoticeWarning#
Click on I Need FASTTag and fill out the form

Again 2 days past and no followup.
On 01-Mar-17, I dropped an email to etc.management@axisbank.com. I got back an automated reply with a ticket/case number.
Again no reply.

Completely frustrated, I just gave up on FASTTag and decided to just get the Tag at Talegaon Toll booth on some weekend on the way to Mumbai.
I usually start early morning and reach Thane by 9 ish to beat the traffic. And the FASTTag booth starts only after 10-11 am. Dough!
Another option was to visit ICICI Bhandarkar Road, Pune branch and apply for FASTTag in person. But the branch timings and my commute times didn't match.

I did multiple trips on the Expressway each time paying by Card (I am a supporter of 'less cash' economy)


This is what worked

On 4th May (Thursday) Sent a tweet to @MORTHIndia (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) and tagged @ICICIBank and @AxisBank saying I am frustrated with the lack of followup regarding FASTTag application.
In a few minutes, got a reply from both the banks about my contact details. Sent them the details privately and waited...

Next day morning, I got a call from AxisBank asking me for my location etc. then the person on the phone SMSed me the contact details of a person in Mumbai and asked me to call him.

Shantappa Baur from Mumbai called me to explain the process. He sent me an email with the list of documents needed and the process

I send him scanned copies of
Address proof
ID proof
FASTTag form filled up by hand
RC of the vehicle (I don't have a smart card its a long sheet of paper)
I also transferred INR 600 to e-sahaj account and sent him the transaction number. Total charges are only 430. 170 is now my wallet balance


My case was processed in 2-3 hours and I got the customer id and Wallet Id details over email.
The tag was couriered to me and have received it on 8th May (Tuesday)

Next steps
Install the tag in the vehicle and send Shanthappa the photos of the vehicle
My account will get activated and I can start using the tag

Tag is at my home in Thane. I will be installing it over the weekend


If you want to get a FASTTag in and around Mumbai/Pune I would highly recommend contacting Shantappa Baur 9769067755 shantappa.baur@sahaj.co.in

[landcruiser123]

Dear BHPians,
I had tried getting FASTag during my drive to Chennai during the Christmas break and I was just frustrated by the lack of availability. I'm travelling to Munnar next week and would like to try getting the tag now.

Has anyone managed to get it in the ICICI bank branch at Bommanahalli? If so, can you please provide a contact so that I can verify availability.

Also, can someone tell me which Axis bank branch (in Bangalore) issues tags?

Or can I get it at any toll plaza en route? (I'll be going via Salem-Dindigul)

TIA

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Or can I get it at any toll plaza en route? (I'll be going via Salem-Dindigul)
TIA

I had read somewhere on this thread about Tags being sold at Krishnagiri Toll Plaza.

You may want to try your luck, making sure you carry all required documents .

All the best.

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by freedom

Another tale of how to get a FASTag

Next steps
Install the tag in the vehicle and send Shanthappa the photos of the vehicle
My account will get activated and I can start using the tag

Is this a necessary step? I got the Tag but no one has asked me to click the picture to activate. When I log in to the portal of the Bank, I see the Tag is under "Active". Perhaps specific to Axis Bank?

[freedom]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

Is this a necessary step? I got the Tag but no one has asked me to click the picture to activate. When I log in to the portal of the Bank, I see the Tag is under "Active". Perhaps specific to Axis Bank?

Ideally the FASTag executive should come and install the tag. In my case he sent it via courier.
To avoid abuse of the tag, its mandated to permanently paste the tag on the respective vehicle before its activated.

[hrman]

My first experience with using the Fastag.
I was returning from KIAL. When I took my car to the dedicated Fastag lane the boom barrier did not open. So I went to the adjacent toll booth and told the attendant that I have a fastag. He groaned a bit, took a handheld scanner and showed it at my Tag. Not sure what happened, but the light turned green and the boom bar opened, thus allowing me to pass through without paying cash.
Its been three days, I've not yet received any SMS on the deduction. And when I try to login to the Axisbank ETC website from work, it doesn't show the captha required to login. Need to try from home to see if the amount has been debited. Will it be Rs.85 or Rs.125, anyone experienced this and what amount got debited?

[binand]

Originally Posted by freedom

Install the tag in the vehicle and send Shanthappa the photos of the vehicle

It is not a necessary step. It is the Indian way of "make up steps as we go".

I would like to know, what sort of abuse is possible if that tag is not pasted on the vehicle before it is activated?

And where is it mandated to be done so?

We make up rules on the fly. Last week I was checking in to a hotel. For the past 15+ years, I use my PAN card as ID document when checking in. This time, the hotel said they don't accept PAN cards (a made-up rule). Why? Because PAN cards don't have addresses. What regulation requires them to collect addresses of the guests? No answer.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by binand

I would like to know, what sort of abuse is possible if that tag is not pasted on the vehicle before it is activated?

Tag is meant for a specific vehicle.

Say I get hold of my friends tag for a LMV and then I drive my LCV and use the tag at toll gates. The amount deducted will be that for a car, where as I am supposed to shell out more money for the bigger vehicle.

Or even worse, if I have 1000 balance in my tag and someone else gets hold of it, he can keep crossing toll gates at my expense.

Once you paste the tag and then try to remove it, the chip gets damaged and makes it unusable. Its a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

[binand]

Originally Posted by freedom

Say I get hold of my friends tag for a LMV and then I drive my LCV and use the tag at toll gates. The amount deducted will be that for a car, where as I am supposed to shell out more money for the bigger vehicle.

Or even worse, if I have 1000 balance in my tag and someone else gets hold of it, he can keep crossing toll gates at my expense.

Actually none of these are that big issues to require photography etc. The first the toll booth staff are expected to catch. The second can happen even with wallets and paytm and is not tag-specific.

Originally Posted by freedom

Once you paste the tag and then try to remove it, the chip gets damaged and makes it unusable. Its a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

You can't attach it with cello tape like arun_josie suggests? And in my case, ICICI Bank just delivered the tags to me without any concern. I pasted them myself (as a matter of fact, went in my scooter to pick up the tags).