The government is making it mandatory for all commercial vehicles entering Delhi to have RFID tags. Without RFID tags or lacking sufficient recharge amount will need to pay a penalty from midnight of August 23. The penalty will be twice the specified rates of ECC and MCD toll, during the first week, four times the specified rates during the second week, and six times the specified rates during the third week.
The RFID system implementation has been made mandatory for commercial vehicles entering Delhi for which arrangements of the pre-registration of commercial vehicles and sale of RFID tags and its recharge arrangements have been made at the toll plazas and through mobile vans. Earlier, the last date for pre-registration and subsequent issuance of Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) tags for commercial vehicles entering Delhi through any of the 13 toll plazas was August 16, which was later extended to August 23.
“Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by owners of commercial vehicles and taxis in getting their vehicles pre-registered and subsequently obtain RFID tags for entry to Delhi through 13 toll plazas at city borders, it has been decided to extend the last date for it to midnight of August 16 to midnight of August 23,” a senior SDMC official had said.
Transporters and transport unions had requested the Supreme Court-appointed environment pollution control authority (EPCA) to “postpone the deadline of midnight of August 16 for entry of commercial vehicles with RFID tags into Delhi”.
Lt Governor Anil Baijal on July 15 had inaugurated a high-tech toll plaza system, based on RFID system that allows the cashless collection of municipal toll tax and Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) from commercial vehicles. Thirteen toll plazas, equipped with ultra-modern cameras and sensors, were operationalised earlier.
In addition, six permanent points of sales in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been established before Delhi entry points, SDMC officials said.
These points are — Tikri Main, Bahadurgarh Bypass Road, Near New Bus Stand Haryana; Indian Oil Petrol Pump, Near Biswa Mill, GT Karnal Road, Kundli Sonepat, Haryana; GT Road, Anand Industrial Estate, Mohan Nagar, in front of ITS College, Ghaziabad; Sector-1, Heritage Village Resort, Manesar Police Station, NH-8, Manesar, Haryana; NH 24 Bridge, UP Gate, Ghaziabad; and NHAI & MCD Toll Tax Badarpur Haryana Border near Bharti Petrol Pump, Agra Road, Badarpur Delhi.
“The response in getting commercial vehicles pre-registered and subsequent issuance of RFID tags is encouraging, as around 50,000 RFID tags have been issued during the last six days. In all, more than 95,0000 RFID tags have been issued,” the statement said.
The 13 toll points across Delhi are: Tikri, Badarpur-Faridabad Main, Badarpur-Faridabad, DND Flyway, Aya Nagar, Ghazipur Main and Ghazipur Old, Kalindi Kunj, Kapashera, Kundli, Rajokri, Shahdara Main and Shahdara Flyover.
