Business

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; New Delhi: The rules governing FASTag are set to change, bringing some relief for specially-abled vehicle owners. The Central Government has revised the FASTag renewal provisions for vehicles registered under the Divyang category. Under the new guidelines, eligible specially-abled beneficiaries will no longer have to renew their FASTag every year.

The revised guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The changes are specifically aimed at making the toll payment process more convenient for vehicles belonging to eligible persons with disabilities.

Under the new system, the validity of a FASTag issued to a specially-abled beneficiary will be linked to the person's Unique Disability ID card, commonly known as the UDID card. The validity period will be determined on the basis of the percentage of disability recorded in the beneficiary's disability certificate or identification document.

Until now, FASTags issued under the Divyang category had to be renewed every year. This annual renewal requirement often meant additional paperwork and repeated formalities for eligible vehicle owners. With the revised rules, the renewal process is expected to become considerably easier.

According to the new provisions, beneficiaries with a disability level of 70 per cent to 100 per cent will be able to use their FASTag for up to five years without having to renew it annually. For beneficiaries whose disability level is 40 per cent or more but less than 70 per cent, the FASTag will remain valid for three years.

Once the specified validity period comes to an end, the FASTag can be renewed again in accordance with the applicable rules and eligibility requirements. This means that beneficiaries will still need to complete the renewal process eventually, but they will no longer have to go through the process every year.

The revised guidelines are expected to reduce the administrative burden on specially-abled beneficiaries and make access to applicable toll-related concessions more convenient. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has stated that the changes are intended to make the national highway toll system simpler and more transparent for eligible beneficiaries.

At the same time, the revised framework is aimed at ensuring that toll concessions are provided only to those who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria and follow the required documentation process. Linking FASTag validity with the Unique Disability ID is also intended to provide a clearer mechanism for determining eligibility and the applicable validity period.

For specially-abled vehicle owners, the change could therefore mean fewer renewal formalities and a longer period of validity. Instead of having to renew FASTag every year, eligible beneficiaries will now receive validity based on their recorded percentage of disability, with the maximum validity extending up to five years for those in the 70 to 100 per cent category.