New Delhi, Aug 15: The government on Friday introduced FASTag-based annual toll pass for private vehicles on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. The annual pass is priced at Rs 3,000.

Cars, jeeps, and vans can use this facility at toll plazas run by the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The pass is valid for one year from activation or for 200 toll trips, whichever occurs first. When the limit is reached, the FASTag automatically switches to standard pay-per-trip mode. For point-based toll plazas, each one-way crossing counts as a trip, and a return counts as two. In closed or ticketed systems, a complete entry-to-exit journey counts as one trip.

Only non-commercial private vehicles are eligible for the pass and it will only be given to cars, jeeps and vans registered for personal use. It is valid on national highways and expressways managed by NHAI and MoRTH. State highway toll plazas are not covered unless they are integrated into the central FASTag system.

To purchase the pass, vehicle owners must have an active FASTag linked to their registration number affixed to the windscreen. They should not be blacklisted from purchasing the pass. Some FASTags, especially those issued for new vehicles, may only be registered with the vehicle's chassis number. The Annual Pass cannot be activated on such FASTags and they should be updated to include the complete vehicle registration number.

The pass is available for purchase via the Rajmarg Yatra mobile app, NHAI or MoRTH websites, or authorised FASTag issuer portals. Payment for the pass (Rs 3,000) can be made via UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking. FASTag wallet balances cannot be used for this purpose. Activation is usually completed within two hours and confirmed by SMS.

The average toll for a passenger vehicle is about Rs 50. Completing 200 trips in a year without the pass would cost around Rs 10,000. With the annual pass, the cost is fixed at Rs. 3,000, which saves about Rs. 7,000 for frequent highway travellers.

(IANS)

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