By the end of October, toll plazas across Delhi will introduce radio frequency identification (RFID) and the technology will be implemented in 65 dedicated lanes at border points. According to civic officials quoted in a TOI report, while the South Delhi Municipal Corporation expects the civil work to be over by September 13, other work including the software installation will stretch the deadline to October end. The technology will be used at 13 entry points from where 85 per cent of vehicles roll into the national capital. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation believes that after introducing the new system for paying tax, the problem of congestion at toll plazas will be resolved permanently. The report also stated that there will be three types of entry lanes: free lane for non-commercial vehicles, dedicated RFID lanes and mixed lane with payment of toll either through RFID tag or by cash. By March 2019, the mixed lanes will be converted to full RFID lanes.
The new system will incorporate data of all vehicles entering and leaving Delhi. According to an official, the system will help ensure that no vehicles older than 10 years are allowed into the national capital and will also block blacklisted vehicles. The official also said that the additional feature is not a part of the existing FASTag system, which mainly focuses on whether the RFID tag has sufficient monetary value to pay the toll. An official from South Delhi Municipal Corporation informed that the scheme contractor will join hands with a Spanish company, which is specialising in RFID toll and which has worked in more than 40 countries.
An official was quoted in the report saying that, the RFID lanes will have barriers that will open when the vehicle is at a distance of 25 metres, if the sensors can identify the tags. But, there will be also alternate provisions in order to solve the issues with tags to prevent such vehicles from being allowed past the toll plaza, the official added.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has received no-objection certificates for seven crossings from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the traffic police of Delhi. On the other hand, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not yet responded. An official said that the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has written three letters to NHAI requesting NoC for development of RFID lanes at six border points. The official further added that if NHAI delays in its reply, then the October end deadline might have to be shifted.