Centre announces plans to roll out FASTag-based annual pass at Rs 3k, check details

New Delhi, June 18: The Central Government on Wednesday announced its plans to roll out FASTag-based annual pass for private vehicles.

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Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari took to his official ‘X’ handle and shared the details of the pass.

According to Gadkari, the pass will be priced at Rs 3,000 and will be valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips, whichever comes first.

The pass, exclusively designed for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans, will be effective from August 15.

Gadkari stated that the annual pass will facilitate smooth and affordable travel across National Highways nationwide. A dedicated link for activation and renewal will soon be available on the Rajmarg Yatra App and the official websites of NHAI and MoRTH.

The Minister also mentioned that the policy tackles long-standing issues related to toll plazas within a 60 km range and streamlines toll payments with a single, cost-effective transaction.

There were earlier rumors about two types of new passes:

• Annual Pass: A one-time FASTag recharge of Rs 3,000 would allow private vehicles to travel on national highways and state expressways for a whole year without paying additional tolls.

• Distance-based Pass: For those who don't want the annual pass, a flat fee of Rs 50 per 100 km might replace the current toll system.

While the annual pass has been confirmed, it's still unclear if the distance-based option will be introduced. The government had also previously considered a 'lifetime FASTag' costing Rs 30,000, but it was meant to be valid for just 15 years.

The new system will use the existing FASTag setup, but eventually, toll booths will be replaced by sensor-based systems that use GPS and automatic vehicle tracking for smooth, barrier-free travel.