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FASTag
Why is it in the news ?
- The Road Transport and Highways Minister has announced that FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles, private and commercial, from December 15. 2019.
- The earlier deadline was December 1.
More about FASTag
- A FASTag is a sticker containing an embedded chip and antenna. It is prepaid rechargeable tags.
- It is affixed on a vehicle’s windscreen to enable automatic collection of toll charges when the vehicle passes through a toll plaza, without the need to stop at the toll booth.
- An activated FASTag works on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Moreover, these FASTags do not have any expiry date.
- At the back-end, it is connected to your bank account or wallet to enable automatic deduction of charges.
- Significance of FASTag:
(1) It promotes digital payments and makes it easier to keep tabs on vehicles and the toll booths.
(2) Cost of storage and transportation of cash as well as manpower at the toll booths comes down.
(3) It helps avoid traffic build-up at toll booths and save fuel expended by vehicles during the wait.
(4) Reports indicate that the government plans to use data from the devices used in electronic toll collection to monitor traffic and rework its toll policy as well.
Source
The Hindu.