In response to reports of discrepancies between FASTag data and real vehicle registration numbers, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has ordered all FASTag issuing banks to verify FASTag-linked VRNs without delay.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways officials have warned that inconsistencies like these could lead to lax enforcement, the escape of tax money, and fines under the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.
The goal of the change is to make the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system more accurate and reliable while also making it more transparent, ensuring compliance, and improving operational efficiency.
Future technology-led projects, such as Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling, would rely on verified vehicle data for enforcement actions like e-notices, and NHAI stressed the importance of accurate VRN mapping for this.
Many inconsistencies, according to the authority, originate from FASTags that were given prior to integration with the VAHAN database, when validation was far more dependent on human procedures.
Following official orders, financial institutions must immediately check all FASTags issued and remove any associated with invalid or incorrect car registration numbers.
Image Credit: ACKO Drive
Disclaimer: All news articles are sourced through valid sources, and Business Unlimited (BU) doesn’t have any exclusive rights on these pieces. If BU features any exclusive story or article, it will be marked as Exclusive Story.
