RTI for FASTag Double Deduction, Toll Overcharging and Concession Agreement

Use this guide if (a) FASTag deducted twice for one crossing; (b) FASTag deducted at a barrier where you did not pass; © the toll fee charged exceeds the gazette notification; (d) blacklisted FASTag was wrongly assessed double toll; (e) you want a copy of the concession agreement to verify exemptions (eg local resident discount, ambulance, defence); (f) overdimensional / overweight charge was wrongly applied.

• National Highways Act 1956, Section 7 (levy of fees) and rules.
• National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008.
• NHAI Act 1988 and NHAI policy circulars.
• NETC FASTag Procedural Guidelines issued by NPCI for member banks.
• RTI Act 2005, Sections 6 and 7(1).

The CIC has held in Praveen Sehgal v NHAI (CIC, 2019) and similar later cases that toll plaza concession agreements, traffic count and reader logs are disclosable, with redactions for genuinely confidential commercial information under Section 8(1)(d) only as far as necessary.

1. Identify the right PIO. NHAI HQ at Dwarka, New Delhi (CPIO); NHAI Regional Office for the corridor; IHMCL CPIO; NPCI grievance for NETC technical errors; your FASTag issuer bank.
2. Pin the transaction. Date, time, plaza name, plaza ID, lane, vehicle registration number, FASTag VRN tag, transaction reference (TRN), bank, amount.
3. Use the body's own redressal first. Issuer-bank dispute window (typically 30 days); IHMCL helpline 1033; FASTag dispute portal.
4. Draft the RTI asking for the reader log, AVC (automatic vehicle classification) image, traffic count for that minute, the gazette notified rate, the concession agreement clause, exemption rules and refund SOP.
5. Pay ₹10 fee through online RTI or IPO.
6. Wait 30 days then escalate.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
National Highways Authority of India / IHMCL, [Address]
[Email if applicable]

Subject: RTI under Section 6 regarding FASTag transaction at toll plaza [name and ID] dated [DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM], TRN [number], vehicle [registration]

Sir / Madam,

I, [Full name], a citizen of India, owner of vehicle bearing registration [VRN], holder of FASTag tag ID [last six], request the following under the RTI Act 2005. Fee of Rs. 10 paid online / by IPO.

In respect of the transaction(s) at toll plaza [name], plaza ID [if known], lane [number], on [DD/MM/YYYY] at [HH:MM]:

1. Reader log entry for my tag ID, including read attempts, success / failure flag and amount charged.
2. Automatic Vehicle Classification (AVC) record and the lane camera image / video extract for that minute (with third-party plates redacted).
3. Traffic count register for that minute or hour, indicating the number of vehicles processed in that lane.
4. Gazette notified toll rate applicable on the said date for my vehicle category, with the notification reference.
5. Whether any double-deduction error was logged or auto-reversed; if reversed, the reversal TRN.
6. Copy of the concession agreement clause governing exemptions (local resident, defence, ambulance, etc) and the SOP for granting them.
7. SOP for FASTag dispute resolution and refund timelines under NETC.
8. Status of any complaint filed by me, including ticket number, date and present custodian.
9. Standard Operating Procedure for blacklisted-tag handling and wrongful penalty.
10. Reason recorded in writing for delay in refund beyond the NETC dispute timeline.

I invoke Section 10 (severability). I undertake to pay further fee under Section 7(3).

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, name, date]

• Filing only with the issuer bank. Bank handles the reversal but does not hold the plaza records. Address NHAI / IHMCL.
• Forgetting timestamp. Without HH:MM the plaza cannot trace the lane log.
• Asking for refund. RTI can give you the records; refund is via the bank dispute / IHMCL grievance.
• Ignoring NETC SLA. NETC mandates dispute resolution within fixed timelines; quote the SLA in your RTI to corner the PIO.
• Missing the concession clause. Local-resident discount and ambulance / defence exemption are in the concession agreement. Quote 8(1)(d) limits, these clauses are not commercially sensitive.

• No reply in 30 days → First Appeal under Section 19(1).
• Banking Ombudsman for issuer-bank failure to reverse.
• NHAI grievance at 1033 / NHAI HQ.
• Consumer Commission for deficiency of service against the concessionaire (you paid for a service you did not receive).
• Writ in High Court for systemic overcharging on a corridor.

Largely yes, with specific commercial figures redacted under Section 8(1)(d) only where truly necessary. Exemption clauses, definitions and rate annexures are routinely disclosed.

Per NETC procedure, issuer banks must resolve a dispute within 30 days, and acquirer banks within a similar window. Beyond that, escalate.

Yes, but only the frame relevant to your vehicle, with third-party number plates redacted under Section 10 read with 8(1)(j).

Yes, it is a Section 8 company under NHAI, fully government-owned, with a designated CPIO.

Through the consumer commission for deficiency of service, yes. The RTI reply on the reader log and SOP is the evidence.

State PWD or the state highways authority is the public authority. RTI to that office plus the concessionaire's regulator.

Yes, for NHAI through rtionline.gov.in.

• NHAI: nhai.gov.in
• IHMCL: ihmcl.com
• NPCI NETC: npci.org.in
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways: morth.nic.in
• RTI Online: rtionline.gov.in

Last reviewed: 9 May 2026.

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