FASTag rules changed for these people; will there be no need to pay tolls for 3 or 5 years now?

THE government has revised the FASTag rules for vehicles registered under the 'Divyangjan' category and persons with disabilities (PwD). As per the new rules, these vehicles will get an exempted FASTag based on the percentage of disability recorded in a valid disability certificate, unique disability identity (UDID) card or other applicable records.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said it has revised the guidelines to promote ease of living for the citizens and further simplify toll-related procedures for eligible beneficiaries.

What has changed for the eligible beneficiaries?

Earlier, guidelines mandated annual renewal of the FASTag exemption for Divyangjan. But now the validity will be decided on the recorded percentage of disability.

"FASTag issued to persons with 70 per cent to 100 per cent disability will be valid for five years, while those issued to persons with 40 per cent to less than 70 per cent disability will be valid for three years," the ministry said.

But does this mean eligible Divyangjan will not have to pay tolls for three or five years?

No. The longer validity of the exempted FASTag does not mean that a person is being granted a blanket five-year or three-year waiver from all toll payments. It means the exempted FASTag does not have to be renewed annually during its validity period, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions and toll-exemption rules.

The ministry said the exemption is based on the percentage of disability recorded in a valid disability certificate, Unique Disability Identity (UDID) card or other applicable records.

“Validity of the exempted FASTag will be determined by the recorded percentage of disability,” the ministry said.

The FASTag can be renewed after three or five years, depending on the category, “subject to continued eligibility” and compliance with the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008.

FASTag annual pass reaches one crore milestone

The total number of 'FASTag Annual Pass' has crossed the significant milestone of one crore since its launch on August 15 last year, reflecting strong adoption among National Highway users, an official statement said on 28 September.

The milestone reflects growing acceptance of the Annual Pass among private vehicle owners for providing a seamless and economical travel option on national highways and expressways, it added.

Applicable on about 1,150 fee plazas on national highways and national expressways, the Annual Pass eliminates the need to frequently recharge FASTag through a one-time fee payment of ₹3,075 for one year validity or 200 toll plaza crossings.

The pass is applicable for all non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag. The annual pass gets activated on the existing FASTag linked to the vehicle after a one-time fee payment through the Rajmargyatra app.