RFID likely at 10 more toll plazas in a month to stop vehicles from bypassing system

Plans are afoot to install radio frequency identification (RFID) system at 10 second-level toll booths through which an increasing number of commercial vehicles are entering Delhi bypassing the automatic tax collection project implemented at 13 major entry points.

The RFID system allows automatic collection of MCD tax and environment compensation charge from commercial vehicles. It is aimed at reducing pollution by easing traffic congestions and plug revenue leakage by ensuring transparency.

"We have been witnessing traffic diversion from the 13 border points to 10 second-level toll plazas," Akash Sinha, CEO of Tecsidel, the company implementing the project, said in response to a question whether commercial vehicle owners were trying to bypass the system.

"Traffic at the 13 toll plazas has reduced by 15 per cent and that at 10 second-level border points increased by 15 to 20 per cent," he said.

Another official said the Supreme Court-appointed the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) and the SDMC are considering including these "10 second-level toll plazas in the RFID system within a month".

The 13 busy border points receive around 85 per cent of the incoming traffic in Delhi.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is the nodal agency for implementing cashless border toll system in the national capital, is selling RFID tags to commercial vehicle owners.

Currently, penalties are being imposed on those who have not bought RFID tags. The penalty was twice the basic amount of environment compensation charge in the first week. It has become four times in the second week. Offenders will have to pay six times in the third week.

After September 13, no non-RFID vehicle will be allowed entry into the city, SDMC officials said.