Lok Sabha Question No. 66 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Automation of FASTag System
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ajay Bhatt

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  taking  any  measures  to  address  the problems related to automation in the FASTag system across the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  timeline  by  which  the  automation  of  all  toll  plazas  across  the country is expected to be completed;
- (c)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  expedite  maintenance works  on  National  Highways  in  Uttarakhand  that  were  delayed  due  to natural calamities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the expected timeline for completion of the said works?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 66

ANSWERED ON 24 TH  JULY, 2025

## AUTOMATION OF FASTAG SYSTEM

*66. SHRI AJAY BHATT:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## STATEMENT

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 66 FOR ANSWER ON 24.07.2025 ASKED BY SHRI AJAY BHATT REGARDING AUTOMATION OF FASTAG SYSTEM.

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(a) to (b) The Government has  declared all lanes of all toll fee plazas on National Highways as FASTag Lanes with effect from midnight of 15 th /16 th February 2021.

Presently,  approximately  more  than  98%  of  user  fee  collection takes  place  through  FASTag  under  National  Electronic  Toll  Collection (NETC) programme. All FASTag transactions are processed in a secure ecosystem involving Toll Management System Software, Acquirer Bank, National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) as Central Clearing House (CCH) and FASTag Issuer Bank. The transaction involves a transparent process wherein the deducted user fee (Toll) is informed to the highway users and recorded in a central repository.

In  case  of  incorrect  toll  deduction,  the  Fastag  user  can  raise complaint to the Issuer Bank of FASTag, National Highway Helpline 1033 or dedicated email at falsededuction@ihmcl.com. Each case is thoroughly investigated by Banks/Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) and chargebacks are done if cases are found Bonafide. In case of doubtful cases, the benefit of doubt is passed to the FASTag user. While the standard refund policy of the banks allows for a period of up to 40 days, such cases are promptly investigated and refund requests are typically initiated within 3 days.

As per National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) report in 2024, charge-backs  were  made  to  FASTag  users  for  12.55  lakh  transactions which are about 0.03% of total 410 crore FASTag transactions made in 2024.

In case of false deduction cases, a penalty of Rs. 1 lakh per case is also levied on Toll Collection Agency.

Moreover,  it  has  also  been  decided  to  implement  barrier-free Electronic  Toll  Collection  (ETC)  System  with  available  technology  at selected sections of National Highways as an added facility along with FASTag.  Request  for  Proposal  (RFP)  to  implement  barrier-free  tolling system  on  the  fee  plazas  of  Gharonda,  Choryasi,  Nemili,  UER-II  and Dwarka Expressway has been invited, with the possibility of implementing it on other fee plazas in a phased manner depending upon the outcome and efficacy of the implementation on these projects.

(c)  to  (d)  As  per  Government's  policy,  if  any  stretch  of  a  National Highway is not covered by a post-construction defect-liability or maintenance provision in terms of the construction/ development contract/ concession, then the Government approves either a Short Term Maintenance  Contract  (STMC)  for  a  period  of  up  to  two  years  or  a Performance-Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) for 5 years for already developed  stretches.  Apart  from  these,  if  there  are  any  damages  in monsoon season, urgent temporary restoration works are carried out to restore  the  highway  in  traffic-worthy  condition.  For  permanent  repair works,  Government  considers  sanctioning  of  SR  (Special  Repair)  /  ER (Emergent  Repair)  works  on  a  case-to-case  basis,  with  timeline  of  06 months to 01 year for their implementation as per requirement.

The  Government  has  sanctioned  landslide  protection  work  at  211 locations  with  a  cost  of  Rs.  2642.75  Cr.  since  2022-23  in  the  State  of Uttarakhand.   In  addition,  status  of  Maintenance  work,  taken  up  under STMC & PBMC in Uttarakhand is as under:

| Particular                            | STMC        | STMC       | PBMC        | PBMC       |
|---------------------------------------|-------------|------------|-------------|------------|
|                                       | Length (Km) | Cost (Cr.) | Length (Km) | Cost (Cr.) |
| Ongoing                               | 209.50      | 52.57      | -           | -          |
| Sanctioned work which are under Award | 102.30      | 25.60      | 120.20      | 142.52     |
| Planned for FY 2025-26                | 220         | 55         | 261         | 350        |
| Additional Sanctioned for Machinery   | -           | 5.11       | -           | -          |
| Total                                 | 531.80      | 138.28     | 381.20      | 492.52     |

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