Verify FASTag vehicle number, NHAI with bank

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday directed all banks that issue FASTags to “immediately” verify the vehicle registration numbers (VRNs) associated with the smart tags issued by them. Banks have been directed to blacklist FASTags found associated with incorrect or invalid VRNs.The decision was taken following several complaints that the VRN captured by the FASTag reader did not match the license plate number shown on the vehicle’s license plate. “Such discrepancies have the potential to undermine enforcement mechanisms and may lead to tax evasion and trigger penalty provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act,” the Highways Authority said.It said a significant number of such mismatches were related to FASTags issued before the tags were integrated with the Vahan database.