Toll collection in 25 toll plazas, including both public-funded and BOT (built, operate and transfer) and on national highways (NHs) in Punjab have been directly or indirectly affected due to farmers’ protests since October last year.
Vijay C Roy
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 15
Although the Union Ministry of Road Transportation and Highways has said the Radio Frequency Identification tag (FASTag) will become mandatory from Monday midnight and vehicles without it will have to pay twice the toll, its implementation is uncertain in Punjab as currently all plazas in the state are closed due to farmers’ protest.
“Since the toll collection in all the plazas is suspended, uncertainty prevails over the implementation of this decision. Once toll collection resumes only then we will be able to implement it,” said a senior NHAI official.
Toll collection in 25 toll plazas, including both public-funded and BOT (built, operate and transfer) and on national highways (NHs) in Punjab have been directly or indirectly affected due to farmers’ protests since October last year. It is worth mentioning that members of different farm unions forced all 51 toll plazas across Haryana and Punjab to close, giving a free pass to motorists.
However, the official said except Punjab and Haryana, FASTag would be made compulsory from Monday midnight across the country where the operations had not been disrupted.
The government said the complete migration to FASTag would help promote fee payment through the digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide a seamless passage through the plazas.
Vehicle owners can buy FASTag for their vehicles at certain toll plazas across the state by producing identification and vehicle registration documents. They can also buy it online on e-commerce portals and on the websites of certain banks such as HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank, etc.
Customers can recharge their FASTag digital wallet using Internet banking, credit and debit cards or UPI.
Multiple options for recharge
Customers can recharge their FASTag digital wallet using Internet banking, credit and debit cards or UPI. Vehicle owners can buy FASTag for their vehicles at certain toll plazas across the state by producing identification and vehicle registration documents.