India, Aug. 16 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rolled out a new travel convenience for highway commuters-the FASTag annual pass-and it has already seen an enthusiastic response.

Launched on August 15, the facility allows private vehicle owners to make a one-time payment of Rs 3,000 for an entire year of toll-free travel, or up to 200 toll plaza crossings, across India's national highways and expressways.

By 7.00 pm on launch day, over 1.4 lakh users had purchased and activated the pass, with nearly as many toll transactions-1.39 lakh-being recorded. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways called the initial response "overwhelming," citing a strong uptake from regular highway users.

The pass is available exclu...