All toll plazas to have fast tag system from December

Mumbai: Beginning December this year, the government will start a FASTag system for toll collection, with every toll plaza having a hybrid (cashless and fast tag system) lane.

The Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) has signed a MOU with MSRDC for the RFID technology. Nearly Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakhs will be spent on infrastructure required for the system.

At a meeting held with toll plaza operators recently, the MSRDC told them to update toll plazas for the FASTag system. The MSRDC told them to help set up the required infrastructure.

“In the first phase, every plaza will have at least one devoted lane for the fast tag. That lane will be a hybrid lane,” said Vijay Waghmare, joint director, MSRDC.

The FASTag system will reduce time spent by each vehicle at the toll plaza from the present 15 to 20 seconds to just three to four seconds, thereby reducing traffic at toll plazas.

There are a total 36 toll plazas, of which, 20 are owned by the government and the remaining 16 by the MSRDC.

An antenna and readers will be installed at every hybrid lane so as to read the FASTag.

The MSRDC has nominated the Public Works Department for maintenance of this project.

The government of India has finalised a maximum Rs 25 lakhs for each toll plaza. The toll plazas will spend Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakhs for primary work.

Fifty per cent of the funding will be provided by the National Highway Authority of India.

According to the MSRDC, the official fast tag will improve cashless transactions by 20 to 25 per cent at all toll plazas.