JK News Today
Jammu, January 9:
From 14.01.2020 FASTag will be mandatory to pay the toll charges at the NH Toll Plazas across the country including those in J&K. The deadline to make toll payments through FASTag was extended by MORT&H, Govt of India upto 14.01.2020 and hence mandatory FASTag and double tolling from non FASTag vehicles was implemented only in few lanes but from 14.01.2020 all vehicles not fitted with FASTag will have to pay double the toll on entering the FASTag lanes of the toll plaza. Also the exemption and concessions will only be applicable through FASTag only.
Project Director, NHAI, PIU – Jammu Shri Ajay Kumar Rajak informed that large number of FASTags are being sold on daily basis and number of vehicles fitted with FASTags has increased multiple times in the last two months in J&K. He added that the rule will be strictly implemented in the State as no more extension is being given by Govt of India and has requested all the pending stake holders to install/activate the FASTags on their vehicles for availing concessions like local resident monthly pass, return journey pass, to avoid payment of double toll and seamless movement across the toll plazas on the National Highways in India.
This mode of payment is being launched by the Centre to reduce congestion and delays at the Toll Plazas. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India has decided 100% electronic collection at Toll Plazas through FASTag w.e.f. 15.12.2019 which was extended upto 14.01.2020. As per Govt 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, 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.
The implementation of 100% electronic collection is being done all over the Country and Thandikhui Toll Plaza in Samba, Ban Toll Plaza in Jammu District and Mada Nashri Toll Plaza. 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 also informed that necessary preparation has been done by NHAI. Sufficient manpower in terms of traffic marshals and others have been deployed at the Toll Plaza to guide the traffic about the use of FASTag, diverting FASTag fitted vehicles to FASTag lanes of the Toll Plazas and non FASTag vehicles to the cash lanes of the Toll Plazas. Necessary sign boards for guiding the road commuters regarding FASTag and cash lanes have been installed. Moreover, public announcement system at the Toll Plazas is being used to create more and more awareness among the road commuters about the FASTags. NHAI officials have also been deployed at the Toll Plazas to ensure smooth transition to cash less toll collection and he himself will be visiting both the Toll Plazas to ensure avoidance of any inconvenience to the road commuters and non stop movement of the FASTag vehicles.
Those without FASTags who want to pass through the FASTag lanes will have to pay double the toll charges. The other option is to wait in the cash lane which would take considerably longer time to cross the toll plaza.
