JK News Today
Jammu November 23:
NHAI today conducted Press Conference regarding Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India scheme of 100% electronic collection at Toll Plazas through FASTag w.e.f. 01.12.2019. As per Government of India, MORTH Circular No. H-25016/01/2018-Toll Dated: 19.07.2019, in order to promote the payment through digital mode and to provide a seamless passage to the fee plazas, it has been decided that all the lanes shall be declared as ‘FASTag lane of fee plaza’ and user of the vehicle not fitted with FASTag entering into FASTag lane of the fee plazas shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category of the vehicle. However, one ETC enabled lane on the extreme left will continue to collect cash.
While interacting with media Regional Officer NHAI, J&K Shri Hem Raj informed that Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India has emphasized that the project should be implemented with the idea of minimizing the waiting period at toll plazas so that users benefit in terms of fuel and time savings while the society benefits in terms of reduced vehicular emission. Also regular review of the scheme is being taken at the highest level in the Ministry as well as NHAI.
The trials of 100% electronic collection are being conducted at all the Toll Plazas in J&K. Increase in use of FASTag will lead to non-stop movement across the Toll plazas in near future. NHAI is making every possible effort for hassle-free movement of VVIP, Defence Personnel, Ambulance and other exempted vehicles and avoiding the traffic Jams.
FASTag have been made available at the toll plazas, branches of banks e.g. PNB, HDFC, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra, Paytm etc. NHAI FASTag is available at the toll plazas which can be recharged/linked with bank account by using ‘My FASTag App’, Only one document i.e. RC (Registration Certificate of the Vehicle). These FASTag can also be bought from online shopping sites e.g. Amazon, Paytm, etc.
Project Director, NHAI, Jammu Shri Ajay Kumar Rajak also informed that the FASTags are also available at following branches of Punjab National Bank:- Shastri Nagar, Aquaf Market, Trikuta Nagar, ChanniHimmat, TalabTillo, Canal Road, Rehari, Bakshi Nagar, Gangyal&Narwal and all other main branches of National Banks.
New Point of Sale (POS) for FASTags will be established at petrol pumps along the National Highways and other prominent locations.
Project Director, NHAI Jammu further informed that the recharge or topup once made in the account linked to the FASTags can be used whenever the vehicle crosses any of the toll plazas in the country. Non FASTag vehicles will have longer waiting time and the vehicle fitted with FASTag will move swiftly through the toll plaza. Project Director also informed that they are distributing pamphlets at toll plazas, making use of public announcement systems, continuously interacting with media and giving advertisement in local and National Newspapers to create awareness and promote the use of FASTag so as to achieve the goal of 100% electronic toll collection.
Project Director, NHAI, Jammu has also met with Transport Commissioner and it was decided to install FASTag on all the JKSRTC and other Govt. vehicles. Apart from this a number of transport Unions have been approached and FASTags are being installed on all the vehicles. Even the exempted vehicles will be fitted with FASTags and all the persons included in the exempted list will be issued free FASTags.
Regional Officer, NHAI, J&K said that the rule will be strictly implemented in the State and has requested all the stake holders to install/activate the FASTags on their vehicles before 1st December, 2019 for seamless movement across the toll plazas on the National Highways in India.
In the end, NHAI Officials once again requested all the persons who own a vehicle to get FASTag installed on their vehicles as soon as possible to avoid any kind of delay at the toll plazas. He further requested cooperation from all stake holders from different sections of the society in implementing this scheme for never like before experience at the toll plazas on the National Highways of India.
