New Fastag scheme becomes a headache, drivers face huge losses

The central government recently launched an annual pass scheme linked to FASTag. This scheme was intended to provide convenience to commuters and bring transparency to toll payments. However, it is now becoming a headache for many drivers.

The central government recently launched an annual pass scheme linked to FASTags. The scheme was intended to provide convenience to travelers and bring transparency to toll payments. However, this scheme is now becoming a headache for many drivers. Due to numerous technical glitches, vehicle owners are facing losses of thousands of rupees. The

FASTag is affixed to the vehicle's windshield. If a vehicle's windshield breaks and the driver needs to obtain a new FASTag, the previously recharged annual pass amount is not transferred to the new FASTag. There is no option available on the portal for this process. As a result, drivers who have recharged annual passes of ₹3,000 or more are facing direct losses.

The problem isn't limited to broken glass. Even if a vehicle owner sells their vehicle and deactivates their Fastag, the money deposited in it remains unrefunded. Banks and Fastag operators are also unable to provide clear answers regarding this process. Consequently, thousands of rupees have been lost for many vehicle owners.

Another drawback of the Fastag system is that even if a vehicle owner obtains a new Fastag (duplicate), the balance in the old Fastag is not transferred. This means that a new Fastag is issued, but the annual pass amount already deposited cannot be transferred.

Drivers troubled by this problem have questioned the government, asking why the annual pass amount isn't being transferred to a duplicate Fastag, given the money already deposited in the annual pass scheme. They claim that this scheme is causing more harm than good, and many are calling it a "straight hit to the pocket."

Thousands of vehicle owners across the country are grappling with this problem, and crores of rupees are still stuck with Fastag companies and operators. Many vehicle owners have filed complaints both online and offline, but have not received any resolution. Vehicle owners have appealed to the central government and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to quickly add an option to the portal that allows for balance transfer or refund of the annual pass, even after purchasing a duplicate FASTag or selling the vehicle.

PC:Punjab Kesari