Travel on highways has been marked with endless waiting queues at the toll plazas for a long time. Taking cognizance of this situation, FASTag has been made mandatory by the central government since the midnight of 15 February. With the implementation of this new initiative, the commuters at the National Highway Authority of India’s Kshipra toll plaza in Indore, are able to undertake easy and comfortable journeys with reduced travel time.
Vehicles without FASTags in the designated lane to pay double toll amount
According to an announcement made by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all lanes in the fee plazas on the National Highways have been renamed as ‘FASTag lane of the fee plaza’ from the midnight of 15-16 February. FASTags are being provided by specific NHAI stalls that are set up 500 meters away from the established toll plaza.
As per reports, the assistant toll manager of Kshipra toll plaza stated that vehicles without a FASTag are directed to cross the toll intersection through a different lane. If a vehicle without a FASTag enters the lane designated for vehicles equipped with FASTags, then the driver is bound to pay double the toll amount charged for that category of vehicle.
When asked about the inability of the machine to detect certain tags, he replied that the tag is said to be ‘blacklisted’, either because of the balance in the account or when the tag is disfigured. In both cases, one needs to visit the bank from where the FASTag was procured to either exchange it or to get it recharged upon the expiry of the balance amount.
Reduced traffic jams, travel time & cashless transactions
Numerous commuters hailed the initiative for the advantages that can be availed by a FASTag commuter. Even the ones with damaged tags mentioned that the recently launched system is more efficient, given the easy process. Many commuters asserted that the new FASTags are helping in reducing dense traffic jams, in addition to cutting the travel time. The most significant of all its benefits is the promotion of cashless transactions that align with the protective measures deployed in times of the ongoing pandemic.
-With Inputs from ANI
