The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a newly designed FASTag, specifically aimed at Vehicle Class-4 (VC-04), which includes cars, jeeps, and vans. The purpose behind this innovative design is to simplify vehicle identification at toll plazas and improve the efficiency of toll collection. According to an SBI press release, this initiative is expected to significantly reduce travel time for millions of commuters nationwide.

Goal

The primary goal of the new design is to address toll fee discrepancies. The redesigned SBI FASTag will make it easier for toll plaza operators to identify any incorrect tag issuance. This is particularly important as VC-04 tags are sometimes mistakenly applied to higher-class vehicles, such as trucks, resulting in revenue losses for toll plazas and concessionaires. The bank stated, "This new design will be easily recognizable, allowing toll staff to quickly address cases where tags are affixed to the wrong vehicle class."

Benefits

The redesigned FASTag aims to decrease chargeback cases resulting from incorrect tag issuance, thereby boosting government revenue by ensuring that the correct toll fee is collected. SBI believes that this initiative will encourage customers to purchase the appropriate category of FASTag, helping them avoid any potential issues at toll plazas. The new design has been available since August 30, 2024.