India Launches ‘One Tag’ FASTag Portability, Allowing Users to Switch Banks Without Replacing the Tag

India has introduced a new “One Tag” FASTag portability facility, allowing vehicle owners to shift their existing FASTag from one bank account to another without removing the RFID sticker already fixed to the vehicle.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched the facility in Mumbai on September 11, 2026, marking another step in the government’s effort to simplify electronic toll payments and improve the experience of motorists on the National Highway network.

Under the new arrangement, motorists who want to change their FASTag-linked bank account can continue using the same physical tag. Instead of purchasing a new FASTag and replacing the sticker on the windscreen, the existing tag can be linked to the new banking account through the Rajmarg Yatra mobile application.

FASTag Portability Removes a Long-Standing Hassle

FASTags have long been interoperable at toll plazas across the country under the National Electronic Toll Collection system. A FASTag issued by one participating bank can already be used at toll plazas operated by different concessionaires.

The new One Tag facility addresses a different issue: the relationship between the customer and the FASTag-linked banking account.

Earlier, a vehicle owner dissatisfied with the issuing bank could face the inconvenience of closing the existing FASTag and obtaining another tag from a different institution. The new portability arrangement is intended to make switching considerably easier while keeping the existing RFID tag on the vehicle.

In practical terms, the change brings FASTag closer to the concept of mobile-number portability, where the underlying service provider can change without forcing the user to change the identifying number or, in this case, the physical tag.

Rajmarg Yatra Becomes the Digital Interface

The Rajmarg Yatra app will serve as the platform through which motorists can link their existing FASTag to another eligible bank account.

The app has gradually been expanded beyond highway information and grievance services into a broader digital interface for National Highway users.

NHAI has already enabled motorists at 121 toll plazas to obtain eligible monthly FASTag local passes digitally through Rajmarg Yatra rather than visiting toll-plaza offices and submitting documents manually.

The addition of FASTag portability therefore strengthens the app’s role as a common digital gateway for highway-related services.

FASTag Now Dominates National Highway Tolling

FASTag has become the backbone of electronic toll collection in India.

Government data has previously placed FASTag penetration at approximately 98 per cent, with more than eight crore users, highlighting the scale at which RFID-based toll payments have replaced cash transactions on the highway network.

FASTag uses a Radio Frequency Identification sticker attached to the windscreen and automatically deducts the applicable toll from the linked account when the vehicle passes through an enabled toll plaza.

The National Electronic Toll Collection framework developed by NPCI allows the same FASTag to operate across participating toll plazas regardless of the individual toll operator.

One Tag now extends that interoperability from the toll-plaza level to greater flexibility in the customer’s banking relationship.

Government Targets Toll-Plaza Waiting Time Below Ten Seconds

While launching the portability facility, Gadkari also said the government aims to reduce waiting time at toll plazas to less than ten seconds by the end of the current financial year.

NHAI is simultaneously working on systems intended to allow motorists to pay highway tolls with progressively less interruption to their journeys.

The larger objective is to move India’s tolling infrastructure towards faster, more automated and less intrusive payment systems while reducing queues and fuel wastage at plazas.

Local Pass System Also Moving Online

The portability initiative comes alongside continuing changes to FASTag-based local-pass facilities.

NHAI expanded its Digital FASTag Local Pass system to 121 toll plazas in August 2026. Eligible commuters can purchase the existing monthly local pass online through Rajmarg Yatra, removing the need for physical verification at toll offices in many cases.

Reports have also indicated that the government is considering an annual discounted local-pass arrangement for residents living close to toll plazas. Until a final notification is issued, however, such a proposed annual local pass should be distinguished from the already operational monthly digital-pass facility.

A Small Change With a Large Convenience Benefit

FASTag portability may appear to be a relatively simple administrative change, but its significance lies in giving motorists greater freedom to choose their financial service provider.

A vehicle owner can now retain the tag already registered to the vehicle while shifting the associated banking relationship, reducing duplication, avoiding unnecessary tag replacement and making competition among participating FASTag providers easier.

For a tolling ecosystem that already handles the overwhelming majority of National Highway transactions electronically, One Tag represents the next stage of FASTag evolution — moving from nationwide toll interoperability towards customer-level portability and greater control over how the tag is linked and managed.

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