Private car owners may soon get the option of buying an annual or lifetime pass which will allow their vehicle to move through toll booths on national
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If you absolutely love road trips but incessant toll booths and periodic FASTag recharge chores are a dampner, the Indian government may have an easier and more economical option for you. A proposal to offer annual and lifetime (15 years) FASTag to owners of private vehicles is being considered and this has the potential to not just increasing the toll collection amounts but further streamlining the toll-paying process across national highways and expressways in the country.
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It has been proposed that a private vehicle owner be given the option to purchase an annual pass for ₹3,000 or even opt for a lifetime pass that would be valid for 15 years for an upfront payment for ₹30,000. Either of these, however, will be valid for only one vehicle of which the registration number is assigned to the tag. These passes will likely be attached to the FASTag network.
What are the potential benefits?
Is such passes are officially issuesd, it could have numerous benefits – both for private vehicle owners as well as the government. At present, toll collection is more streamlined than it was in the pre-FASTag era but niggling issues remain. Often, lack of balance in a FASTag causes delays and disruptions. There have also been rare allegations of abrupt deductions from the FASTag account. An annual or lifetime pass could ensure more transparency while further smoothening the flow of traffic through toll booths.
It could also be far more cheaper for owners of private vehicles who frequently take to highways. On an estimated average, the toll a car owner has to pay to drive from Delhi to Shimla is ₹400. This works out to be ₹800 for a return journey. Similarly, a return journey between Delhi and Jaipur using National Highway 21 is around ₹800. An annual pass will allow unlimited passage through all tolls on national highways and expressways, bringing this cost down through a 12-month window.
The government is also likely to see an uptick in toll collection amount as the process gets more simplified and there may be encouragement to people at large to drive on highways more frequently.
Who should not get an annual pass?
If you are someone who does not do frequent highway journeys, the existing FASTag system – wherein recharges are done on a need-to-drive basis – ought to be more practical. This essentially means unless you do a plus-1,000 kilometer drive every second month, it may not make much sense for your wallet to opt for either an annual or lifetime pass.
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First Published Date: 06 Feb 2025, 14:27 PM IST
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