Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU Nov 23: NHAI today said that Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India has announced 100% electronic collection at Toll Plazas (TPs) through FASTag w.e.f. December 1, this year.
As per Government of India, MORTH Circular to promote the payment through digital mode and to provide a seamless passage to the fee plazas, it has been decided that all the lanes shall be declared as ‘FASTag lane of fee plaza’ and user of the vehicle not fitted with FASTag entering into FASTag lane of the fee plazas shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category of the vehicle. However, one extra enabled lane on the extreme left will continue to collect cash.
While interacting with media Regional Officer NHAI, J&K Hem Raj informed that Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India has emphasized that the project should be implemented with the idea of minimizing the waiting period at Toll Plazas so that users benefit in terms of fuel and time savings while the society benefits in terms of reduced vehicular emission. Also regular review of the scheme is being taken at the highest level in the Ministry as well as NHAI, he added.
He said the trials of 100% electronic collection are being conducted at all the Toll Plazas in J&K. Increase in use of FASTag will lead to non-stop movement across the Toll Plazas in near future. NHAI is making every possible effort for hassle-free movement of VVIP, Defence Personnel, Ambulance and other exempted vehicles and avoiding the traffic jams, he added.
Hem Raj said FASTag have been made available at the Toll Plazas, branches of banks e.g. PNB, HDFC, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra, Paytm etc. NHAI FASTag is available at the Toll Plazas which can be recharged/linked with bank account by using ‘My FASTag App’, Only one document i.e. RC (Registration Certificate of the Vehicle). These FASTag can also be bought from online shopping sites e.g. Amazon, Paytm, etc.
Project Director, NHAI, Jammu, Ajay Kumar Rajak also informed that the FASTags are also available at following branches of Punjab National Bank:- Shastri Nagar, Aquaf Market, Trikuta Nagar, Channi Himmat, Talab Tillo, Canal Road, Rehari, Bakshi Nagar, Gangyal&Narwal and all other main branches of National Banks.
New Point of Sale (PoS) for FASTags will be established at petrol pumps along the National Highways and other prominent locations.
He further informed that the recharge or top up once made in the account linked to the FASTags can be used whenever the vehicle crosses any of the toll plazas in the country. Non FASTag vehicles will have longer waiting time and the vehicle fitted with FASTag will move swiftly through the Toll Plaza.
Rajak said he has also met with Transport Commissioner and it was decided to install FASTag on all the JKSRTC and other Government vehicles. Apart from this a number of Transport Unions have been approached and FASTags are being installed on all the vehicles. Even the exempted vehicles will be fitted with FASTags and all the persons included in the exempted list will be issued free FASTags.
Regional Officer, NHAI, J&K said that the rule will be strictly implemented in the State and has requested all the stake holders to install/activate the FASTags on their vehicles before December 1, 2019 for seamless movement across the Toll Plazas on the National Highways in India.
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