FASTags trialled for an hour at Kherki Daula toll plaza

Gurugram The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), along with Gurugram traffic police, conducted an hour-long trial of FASTag at Kherki Daula toll plaza on

Gurugram The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), along with Gurugram traffic police, conducted an hour-long trial of FASTag at Kherki Daula toll plaza on Tuesday afternoon, to ascertain the traffic situation once the FASTags are implemented from December 1.

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During the trial, congestion was noted at the toll plaza and the traffic police had to lift the boom barriers to let the vehicles pass without paying the toll, NHAI officials said. Providing access to emergency and government vehicles was one of the key issues discussed during the trial. NHAI officials said they have decided to provided FASTags free of cost to emergency vehicles.

For Tuesday’s trial, 19 lanes were made FASTag, while six remained cash lanes. “I was at the toll plaza to see if we could find a solution to the traffic snarls, but there is no development so far. The police had lifted the boom barriers when they saw congestion. This leads to a revenue loss for the concessionaire of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and should not be done,” an NHAI official, privy to the matter, said.

The traffic police said that their job is to ensure that there is no congestion at the toll plaza. Azad Singh, station house officer (SHO), traffic police station-1, said, “There was congestion during the trial. Our officers do what’s in their capacity to clear traffic jam at the plaza. We were also observing how the situation will unfold once the FASTags are implemented. All issues on FASTag will be discussed with the NHAI soon.”

According to the ministry of road transport and highways (Morth) orders this July from December 1, all vehicles crossing any toll plaza in the country will have to pay toll through FASTags-radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. NHAI will keep only one cash lane whereas all lanes at all toll plazas will be for FASTag users.

At KherkiDaula toll plaza, 23 of the 25 lanes will be FASTags whereas one cash lane will be available on either side.

Officials of Millennium City Expressway Private Ltd (MCEPL), the concessionaire for the expressway, said that at present, the number of commuters taking FASTag lanes is marginal.

S Raghuraman, chief executive officer, MCEPL, said, “Every day, only 50 to 60 commuters are using FASTags at the toll plaza. We have put up posters, but commuters are still not willing to buy the FASTags.”

During the one-hour trial, the toll operator of the expressway, Skylark, made announcements for commuters to buy FASTags. Rajendra Bhati, project head, Skylark, said, “We are doing our bit but now, commuters need to actively take up FASTags.”

The NHAI had also conducted a week-long trial from November 11-16 at the toll plaza. “Total traffic chaos, mismanagement, commuters paying through cash and not willing to take FASTags,” were some of the observations which MCEPL wrote in its report to NHAI on Monday.

The 31 villages that are exempted from paying toll can get the tags from the toll plaza. “Many villagers already have taken the tags, but for others who haven’t, they can do so at the toll plaza,” an NHAI official said.

“Our main concern was for emergency and government vehicles, which should be given free access. When FASTags are implemented, no vehicle should use the emergency lane and the concessionaire should ensure this. We are issuing FASTags to emergency vehicles and the same can be obtained from the NHAI’s office in the city,” a senior NHAI official said.