NETC introduces Fastag at Mumbai toll plazas

- Airoli, Mulund Eastern Express Way, and Mulund (LBS Marg) went live with the FASTag platform recently

- Dahisar toll plaza to implement NETC FASTag soon

- Rajiv Gandhi Sea link and Vashi toll plaza had already enabled the platform earlier

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced that Mumbai is now Fastag ready as three of the city’s major toll plazas, located at Airoli, Mulund Eastern Expressway, and Mulund (LBS Marg) respectively, went live on the Fastag platform recently. The toll plazas located at the Rajiv Gandhi sea-link and Vashi had already enabled the platform while the implementation work at Dahisar toll plaza is underway and is expected to go live soon. ICICI Bank is the first bank to integrate the Fastag technology at plazas at Vashi, Airoli, Mulund Eastern Expressway, Mulund (LBS Marg), and Dahisar. 

As the entry-points to the city are now enabled on the Fastag platform, NPCI is also expecting all parking lots in the city to gradually adapt to the same. A few months ago, the Fastag-led contactless car parking was introduced at Hyderabad International Airport. This system is claimed to play a significant role in reducing queues at the entry and exit of the parking lot, while also offering a convenient parking payment experience to customers.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway toll plaza, which is already on the platform since its inception, has also now migrated to the latest technological specifications. The current concessionaire of electronic toll collection, IRB Infrastructure Developers, has recently provided four dedicated Fastag lanes for cars (two in each direction) at Khalapur and Talegaon toll plazas of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway.

Speaking on the occasion, Praveena Rai, COO, NPCI, said, “Implementation of Fastag on nearly all the toll plazas of Mumbai demonstrates awareness and acceptance of Fastag among millions of commuters. We are glad to see the rapid adoption of Fastag in the city which is offering a safe and contactless toll payments experience to commuters. We are also looking at enabling parking lots with Fastag. With the gaining momentum of Fastag across the country, we are confident that it will scale newer heights. We at NPCI are constantly working towards not only enhancing toll transactions experience for commuters but also making their car parking payments completely safe and contactless with the interoperability of Fastag.”

For the uninitiated, Fastag is a reloadable tag fixed on the windscreen of a vehicle which enables automatic deduction of toll charges from the linked prepaid or savings account while the vehicle is in motion. A user receives an SMS alerts on the registered mobile number for all the transactions done in the tag account. The vehicle with a Fastag doesn't need to stop at toll plazas for toll payment. The tag can be purchased at toll plazas, select bank branches, and online through e-commerce platforms. It can be recharged online through all payment channels including BHIM UPI, BBPS, as well as debit and credit cards.