In a market where one needs to pay more for saving time, any system which offers paying less for saving time could become instant success. This is exactly what is being noticed at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) controlled toll plazas in the State where vehicle owners have been joyously opting for FASTag which enables hassle-free passing of vehicles through dedicated lanes for them.
“Number of vehicles crossing through any of the toll plaza in the State opting FASTag has reached at around seven percent in almost no time in the State. And this number has been increasing day after day. We are hopeful of converting all lanes of all the three operational toll plazas before December this year, whereas another toll plaza ready to be operational within 15 days will also have at least one lane for FASTag on the day of commencement,” said NHAI Project Director (Ranchi) DK Gupta on Monday.
Notably, there are three operational toll plazas controlled by NHAI from Jharkhand as of now, two on NH-2 near Barhi and Gaya, and another on NH-33 near Pundag on Ranchi-Hazaribagh Road. “Fourth toll plaza on NH-23 on Dhanbad-Ramgarh stretch is going to be operational anytime by now with one FASTag lane in it,” said Gupta. Notably, NHAI claims to have all its near 390 toll plazas in country equipped with at least one FASTag lane as of now, most of them in process of fully automated conversion.
Transport Department Secretary KK Khandelwal said on Monday that the system not only allowed swift and hassle free exit at toll plazas, but the facility also allowed those using the system pay less. “It will help reduce fuel consumption and unnecessary jam like situation on toll plazas,” said Khandelwal.
How FASTag works
The FASTag is a Radio Frequency Identification Card (RFID) which gets pasted on the windscreen of the vehicle. It works like any other prepaid card in its category. An RFID reader, usually installed some 80 meters from the toll plaza acting as a sensor, collects information about card, sends it to a computer server, verifies card validity and other things and if finds everything right, deducts balance from card account automatically before the vehicle reaches close to toll exit, opens lever and makes way for vehicle to exit without any disturbance. If it finds any discrepancy, it directs a vehicle to another exit which opens in the lane with cash payment option. Notably, the system remains same at any of the toll plaza across the country under NHAI and vehicles can pass through any number of toll plazas as far as their balances allow. Once balance depleted, cards can be recharged at any toll plaza or service points provided by ICICI Bank which manages service in South India for the purpose or the Axis Bank which does same for North India.