FASTag annual pass for locals near toll plazas starts at Rs 1,500, rules in force from today

Owners of private vehicles who pass through a toll plaza every day have some important news. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has revised the rules for the FASTag annual pass. Local residents living around toll plazas stand to benefit considerably. The new rules came into force today.

Under the rules, local residents will not have to pay toll every day. They can get a year-long toll pass by paying just Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000. The fee will depend on where the toll plaza is located. Certain conditions must also be met to get the pass.

If the toll plaza is outside the limits of a municipality or city, the annual pass fee for eligible local vehicles is Rs 1,500. If the plaza falls within municipal or city limits, Rs 3,000 a year must be paid. With the pass, separate payment will not be needed each time the vehicle crosses the toll plaza. The Centre will review this fee every year on April 1.

The conditions for eligibility are as follows. The vehicle owner's home or residential address must be within 20 km of the toll plaza concerned. The pass is only for vehicles registered for private, that is non-commercial, use, such as cars, jeeps and vans. The vehicle must have a valid, active FASTag fitted.

The pass allows 200 crossings of the toll plaza in a year. Going through a plaza in one direction and returning count as two trips. The pass is valid only at the local plaza for which it was issued.

However, some vehicles and some locations will not be covered. Commercial vehicles of any kind do not get this concession. The rule will not apply at every toll plaza in the country. The local pass will not be available where toll is collected under a different arrangement, or where an alternative road or service road is available to avoid the toll.

The pass can prove useful for locals who have to pay toll repeatedly on daily journeys. Even so, it advises users to compare the cost of a monthly pass and an annual pass carefully, based on how often they travel, before choosing the right option.