The government has announced that it will offer FASTags free of charge for 15 days between February 15 and February 29. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to waive off the cost of FASTag of Rs 100 for the 15-day period.

The ministry said that vehicle owners can visit any authorised physical point-of-sale locations with a valid Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle to avail FASTag free of cost. This move comes as the government is pushing for an increase in the digital collection of FASTags.

The NHAI FASTags can be purchased from all NH fee plazas, RTOs, Common Service Centres, transport hubs, petrol pumps. One can also download the My FASTag App or call the helpline number, 1033.

The ministry stated that the applicable security deposit and minimum balance for FASTag wallet will remain unchanged. The NHAI had also earlier announced free FASTags from November 22 to December 15 last year to encourage people to adopt FASTag.

What is FASTag?

FASTag is a tag that allows automatic deduction of toll charges at NHAI toll plazas. It uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) for the deduction of toll fee. The tag is linked with a prepaid or savings/ current account.

Once the tag is stuck on the vehicle's windscreen, it enables drivers to drive through toll plazas without having to stop to pay.

FASTags can be bought online as well, including from Amazon and Paytm. One-time charge of Rs 100 must be paid by the user for account activation. A convenience fee is also charged for online recharges.