FASTags Without KYC to get Blacklisted on 31 January

FASTags that have incomplete KYC details will be blacklisted or deactivated by banks before 31 January 2024. This move has been announced by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to enhance the efficiency of toll booths as well as to discourage the usage of multiple FASTags for one vehicle or using one FASTag for multiple vehicles. NHAI is calling this the “One Vehicle, One FASTag” initiative.

The Government of India has enforced this move after reports of multiple FASTags being issued for a particular vehicle and FASTags being issued without KYC made it to the public domain. In addition to this, users without FASTags are also known to cause unnecessary delays at toll plazas and also trouble other National Highway users due to the congestion caused.

Why FASTags need KYC?

As per the rules mandated by the Reserve Bank of India, users should have completed the “Know Your Customer” rule in order for their FASTags to be functional. “ASTag users must also comply with ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ and discard all the earlier issued FASTags through their respective banks. Only the latest FASTag account shall remain active as previous tags will be deactivated/blacklisted after 31st January 2024. For further assistance or queries, FASTag users can reach out to nearest toll plazas or toll-free customer care number of their respective issuer banks,” says a notice from NHAI.

NHAI has also stated that with a penetration rate of around 98 percent and over 8 crore users, FASTag has revolutionized the Electronic Toll Collection system in the country. The ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative will help to make toll operations more efficient and ensure seamless and comfortable journeys for the National Highway users. Users who have already completed their KYCs will, however, remain unaffected from this development.