Lok Sabha Question No. 1943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: FASTag Transactions
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta, Shri Manish Jaiswal, Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao

be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  FASTag  transactions  taken  place  during  each  of  the last three years and the current year, State-wise, year-wise;
- (b)  whether  'loose  FASTag'  or  'tag-in-hand'  poses  a  challenge  to  the efficiency  of  electronic  toll  collection  operations  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  National Highways  Authority  of India (NHAI) has strengthened  the  process  for  reporting  loose  FASTag  and  blacklisting such  users  to  ensure  smooth  tolling  operations,  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (d)  whether  NHAI  has  issued  any  directives  to  toll  collecting  agencies and concessionaries in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  other  steps  taken  or  being  taken  by  the  NHAI  to  make  toll operations more efficient, ensuring a seamless and comfortable journey for National Highway users?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1943 ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY, 2025

## FASTAG TRANSACTIONS

1943. SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO:

SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

- (a) The  details  of  State/UT-wise  FASTag  transactions  during  the  last three years and current year at fee plazas on National Highways are at Annexure.
- (b)  Yes  Sir.  As  per  the  National  Highways  Fee  (Determination  of  Rates and  Collection)  Rules,  2008,  'FASTag'  means  an  onboard  unit  or  any such device fitted on the front windscreen of the vehicle.

The practice of using 'loose FASTags' or 'tag-in-hand', where the FASTag is  not  properly  affixed  to  the  front  windshield  of  the  vehicle,  poses  a significant challenge to the efficiency and integrity of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system. Such practices lead to manual lane operations, congestion at fee plazas, misuse in closed-loop tolling systems, generation  of  false  chargebacks,  and  disruption  of  automated  toll processing.

- (c) to (d) Yes Sir. The Government through Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) has progressively strengthened the  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  for  detecting  and  blacklisting 'loose FASTags' or 'tag-in-hand'. As per the IHMCL's Policy Circular dated 19 th   August,  2019,  fee  plaza  operators  are  required  to  report  such violations  to  the  concerned  Acquirer  Bank  and  National  Payments Corporation  of  India  (NPCI).  The  Issuer  Bank  must  verify  the  case  and blacklist the non-compliant FASTag, while IHMCL monitors adherence.

Subsequently, the Circular dated 16 th July, 2024, reiterated the provisions  of  the  National  Highways  Fee  Rules,  2008,  which  mandate that  vehicles  not  fitted  with  a  valid  and  functional  FASTag  are  to  be charged double the applicable fee. The circular draws from the same and specifies  that  vehicles  with  non-affixed  FASTags  would  also  fall  under this category and must pay the fee in cash at double the applicable rate, thereby enforcing deterrence.

To streamline enforcement, the Circular dated 26 th  June, 2025 introduced a structured reporting format requiring fee collecting agencies to submit weekly  data  to  etc.operations@ihmcl.com.  Based  on  these  reports, IHMCL directs NPCI to initiate blacklisting.

Directives have been issued to all fee collecting agencies and concessionaires  from  time-to-time  regarding  'loose  FASTag'  or  'Tag-inhand'.

- (e)     To  increase the efficiency of the Tolling operation and in order to ensure  seamless  and  free-flow  movement  of  vehicles  along  national highways, the Government has decided to implement Automatic Number Plate  Registration  (ANPR)  based  barrier-free  Electronic  Toll  Collection (ETC) System with available technology at selected sections of National Highways  as  an  added  facility  along  with  FASTag  where  the  user  fee shall  be  charged  from  the  vehicle  users  without  having  to  stop,  slow down or stay in a given fee plaza lane.

In  addition,  the  Annual  Pass  scheme  for  non-commercial  vehicles  has been introduced to offer affordability for road users.

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1943 FOR ANSWER ON 31.07.2025 ASKED BY SHRI SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO, SHRI MANISH JAISWAL, SHRI  SUDHEER  GUPTA  &  SHRI  DHAIRYASHEEL  SAMBHAJIRAO  MANE REGARDING FASTAG TRANSACTIONS.

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The details of State/UT-wise FASTag transactions during the last three years and current year at fee plazas on National Highways:

| Name of the      | Total FASTag transactions.   | Total FASTag transactions.   | Total FASTag transactions.   | Total FASTag transactions.   |
|------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| State/UT         | 2022                         | 2023                         | 2024                         | 2025 (Till Jun)              |
| Andhra Pradesh   | 19,21,31,757                 | 20,04,65,753                 | 21,16,79,360                 | 11,29,46,170                 |
| Assam            | 1,87,23,623                  | 1,95,85,091                  | 2,12,22,039                  | 1,26,94,926                  |
| Bihar            | 6,03,50,085                  | 7,02,17,036                  | 7,76,04,068                  | 5,01,95,782                  |
| Chhattisgarh     | 3,88,37,654                  | 4,80,03,780                  | 5,43,88,371                  | 3,05,74,657                  |
| Delhi            | 18,16,570                    | 31,24,194                    | 37,17,145                    | 19,03,088                    |
| Gujarat          | 21,97,18,137                 | 24,03,64,837                 | 24,85,92,949                 | 13,59,79,345                 |
| Haryana          | 20,64,58,046                 | 24,23,28,717                 | 23,75,28,453                 | 12,76,70,909                 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 75,83,044                    | 71,49,493                    | 78,83,008                    | 60,63,011                    |
| Jammu &Kashmir   | 2,08,57,670                  | 2,16,02,139                  | 1,98,53,127                  | 1,00,98,680                  |
| Jharkhand        | 3,16,32,687                  | 3,75,52,179                  | 4,18,94,268                  | 2,62,26,853                  |
| Karnataka        | 27,18,19,576                 | 31,66,45,234                 | 34,97,53,465                 | 18,92,94,575                 |
| Kerala           | 4,14,75,799                  | 4,67,39,799                  | 4,72,40,325                  | 2,41,31,801                  |
| Madhya Pradesh   | 13,84,83,770                 | 15,12,81,076                 | 16,68,03,514                 | 9,90,50,542                  |
| Maharashtra      | 22,14,55,356                 | 25,11,35,711                 | 27,68,04,418                 | 16,03,84,290                 |
| Meghalaya        | 78,69,470                    | 83,96,227                    | 78,48,892                    | 39,46,898                    |
| Odisha           | 4,60,46,513                  | 6,15,59,801                  | 6,61,07,158                  | 3,64,45,781                  |
| Punjab           | 12,67,81,806                 | 14,45,45,455                 | 14,76,66,622                 | 7,95,65,813                  |
| Rajasthan        | 26,07,42,419                 | 28,43,50,099                 | 30,31,90,205                 | 16,70,66,184                 |
| Tamil Nadu       | 32,24,13,100                 | 35,80,79,672                 | 37,65,49,913                 | 20,64,63,426                 |

| Telangana     | 10,05,51,620   | 11,15,65,059   | 12,05,02,516   | 6,69,87,786   |
|---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
| Uttar Pradesh | 28,31,02,705   | 33,06,78,419   | 37,05,07,816   | 21,60,14,417  |
| Uttarakhand   | 3,18,38,135    | 3,54,72,086    | 3,76,54,287    | 2,15,44,224   |
| West Bengal   | 10,91,81,023   | 11,26,77,349   | 11,66,90,548   | 6,54,04,288   |

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