New Delhi June 28, 2021: Regular commuters on Delhi-Meerut Expressway are expected to install FASTags in order to avoid hefty toll taxes. The trial process regarding toll tax collection has been fulfilled and toll on FASTags will be imposed from the first week of July.
According to officials, toll transactions will now be conducted through automatic number readers on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Since this system is being applied for the first time, a series of trials were conducted to ensure smooth functioning.
NHAI project director, Mudit Garg, says that toll tax on vehicles without FASTags will be charged excessively. Even if they cover a shorter distance they will be charged for the entire expressway as compensation.
Vehicles lacking a high security number plate will be faced with the same since ANPR finds it difficult to scan a common number plate because of different fonts. Such vehicles would need to pay taxes manually to open the boom barrier.
A FASTag is a toll collection system wherein a sticker is fixed to the windshields of vehicles. This sticker or tag is linked to a prepaid account thereby allowing an automatic number plate scanner to scan a given vehicle.
This technology employs Radio Frequency Identification technique for toll transactions to occur directly via the linked prepaid account, after scanning. Thus, a vehicle would halt for 3-5 seconds at the toll to open boom barriers.
NHAI officials have sent a toll collection proposal to the ministry wherein a tax of Rs. 130 has been proposed for a distance of 60 km from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut. On this route, toll will be charged at the rate of Rs. 216 paise per km.