NEW DELHI: Over 50 million highway auto users have purchased FASTag annual passes in the last six months since the launch of the scheme and paid tolls of Rs 26.5 crore using the pass at Rs 15 each at plazas. Figures show car users who typically make up to 100 trips a year have taken 50 per cent more trips, showing how annual passes encourage people to travel more on the motorways.NHAI officials said that about 28 per cent of the total car transactions recorded on the NH network are currently conducted through FASTag annual passes. The increased penetration of annual passes among private car users will also help highway authorities better implement the multi-lane free-flow (MLFF) or barrier-free tolling system that is being rolled out, they added.“A district-wise analysis shows that Chandigarh leads in terms of usage, accounting for 14 per cent of the total annual pass transactions in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu at 12.3 per cent and Delhi at 11.5 per cent. These figures indicate widespread adoption of annual passes in different regions, from urban centers in the north to states in the south,” NHAI said.According to Expressway Authority Bijwasan Toll Plaza data, the toll plaza in Delhi-NCR recorded the highest number of passing vehicles using annual cards at about 57%, followed by Mundka in Delhi-NCR and Jhinjholi Square in Sonipat, both of which recorded about 53% of the number of non-commercial vehicles using annual cards.The annual pass is valid at 1,150 toll plazas on national highways and national highways without the need for frequent recharges of FASTag and requires a one-time payment of Rs 3,000 for validity of one year or 200 toll plaza crossings. Annual pass fees will increase in April with toll adjustments.Upon payment of a one-time fee through the Rajmargyatra app or the NHAI website, the annual card will be activated on the existing FASTag associated with the vehicle within two hours.
