New Delhi: FASTag is going to be mandatory for all vehicles in the country from 1 January 2021. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said this. In a virtual event on Thursday, the minister confirmed that fastag will be mandatory for vehicles from 1 January 2021. Earlier, his ministry has issued notifications about this in November. Gadkari also said that people will not have to stay for payment at toll plazas due to fasting. The toll will be cut automatically, which will help in saving time, fuel.
The payment of toll at the toll plaza is done electronically through Fastag. It started in 2016. The ministry’s November notification also stated that from January 1, 2021, Fastag will be mandatory for new vehicles as well as vehicles sold before December 1, 2017. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, Fastag has been made mandatory for registration of all new fourwheelers from 1 December 2017.
With this, it has also been made mandatory that the renewal of the fitness certificate of a transport vehicle can be done only after the vehicle is fastened. Fastag has been made mandatory for national permit vehicles from 1 October 2019. The Ministry has also said that even taking the new third party insurance, valid fast tag will be mandatory. This will be done through an amendment to the insurance certificate, where details of Fastag’s ID will be seen. This rule will come into force from 1 April 2021.