If you often travel on national highways, this update is very important for you. The central government has made major changes to the National Highway Fee Rules to make toll collection more transparent and stricter.
According to the new rules, if toll is not deducted from your FASTag while traveling, you will be given a fixed time to pay it. If you fail to pay within that time, you may have to pay a heavy penalty.
72 Hours Deadline and Double Fine
Under the new rule, if your vehicle passes through a barrier-free toll plaza or the toll is not deducted due to a technical issue or low FASTag balance, you will get 72 hours to pay the pending amount.
If you do not pay within 72 hours, you will have to pay double the original toll fee as a penalty.
What is “Unpaid User Fee”?
For the first time, the revised rules clearly explain the term “unpaid user fee.” It means the toll amount that is recorded by the system when your vehicle passes through a toll plaza but is not deducted for any reason.
In such cases, you don’t need to panic. You will receive a digital notice through SMS, email, or mobile apps. This notice will include full details like the date, time, location, and the pending amount.
More Responsibility for Toll Agencies
The government has also made toll collection agencies more accountable. If a user files a complaint related to toll charges and the agency does not respond within 5 days, the pending toll amount will be automatically cancelled.
This means if the mistake is from the system or agency side and they fail to fix it on time, the vehicle owner will not have to pay the toll. This rule is meant to give relief to the public.
Direct Link with VAHAN Database
To stop toll evasion, the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) system is now directly connected to the VAHAN database. This will make it easier to track vehicles with unpaid toll dues.
If dues and fines are not cleared, it may create problems in vehicle-related services or future travel. Therefore, it is now very important to keep your FASTag active and maintain enough balance for smooth and hassle-free journeys.
