During travel on national highways, a FASTag may sometimes fail to work due to technical glitches or other reasons, or the payment might not go through even after a scan. In such situations, travelers often wonder if they will be required to pay double the toll amount. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have established clear guidelines to address this. These rules aim to promote digital payments, provide relief to travelers, and curb fraudulent practices—such as instances where excessive toll charges are improperly collected at toll plazas.

**Do you have to pay double the toll if your FASTag malfunctions?**
Previously, regulations stipulated that if a vehicle lacked a valid FASTag or if the tag could not be scanned, the driver would be charged double the toll amount at the toll plaza. However, the NHAI has since revised this policy, introducing specific conditions for the application of a double toll charge. If your FASTag fails to function during a journey, the toll amount is determined based on the payment method used.

**Conditions for paying double the toll**
If a FASTag cannot be read at a toll plaza and the driver opts to pay via UPI or other digital payment methods (instead of cash), they are not required to pay double the toll. In such cases, the charge is 1.25 times the standard toll—effectively a 25% increase. Conversely, if the toll is not paid through a digital channel, the driver may be liable to pay double the toll amount. The government has introduced this provision specifically to encourage the adoption of digital transactions.

**Penalty for passing through without payment**
If a vehicle passes through a toll plaza without paying the toll and fails to settle the payment within a specified timeframe (e.g., 72 hours), a penalty equivalent to double the toll amount may be imposed.

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