ON THE FAST TRACK

Travel turns seamless as FASTag, a small sticker on your car, opens up toll gateways

- By AVISHEK G. DASTIDAR

THE DRUDGERY

Less than 10 years ago, driving on India's highways was an exercise in patience that would test even the coolest of drivers. Just when you thought you were making good time on your road trip, a toll plaza would loom ahead, with a long line of cars in queue, as drivers fumbled with cash and argued over exact change. Sometimes, there would be violence. Rush hours and holiday season compounded the ordeal, when the long wait could last hours. Trucks and commercial vehicles fared worse, as waiting at the toll plaza not only meant wastage of fuel but also a disruption in delivery schedules. Manual systems meant limited transparency plus revenue leaks. Toll workers grappled with issues like cash handling, fake bills and the constant risk of theft. As India's highway network expanded, so did the volume of traffic, and the floundering system meant a daily challenge for millions of commuters, and losses to the economy.

THE EASE OF LIVING