We all love road trips, don’t we? All of us have this habit of calculating the time by taking the average speed in consideration but what we always forget to consider is the time it’ll take for us to wait in those long lines at the toll plaza! Nobody remembers to think about them regardless of the fact that they’re the only thing, after tire punctures that ruin the journeys and our plans.
But thanks to the RFID Technology, waiting for your turn at toll plaza is going to be a history!
What’s that, you ask? It’s a new technology that toll booths are installing to help you save that time and pass through it without even having to slow down your speed. Yes, you read it right! It’s true.
It’s called electronic toll collection system and it is designed to stop the delays at the toll gates. Here’s how it works:
Every user has a RFID Tag. Every tag has a unique ID that is used to identify a particular user.
The antennae at the toll gates communicate with the transponder on the vehicle, thus identifying the user and deducting the amount from the prepaid card or adding it in case of a postpaid card.
RFID technology in India is now available at more than 240+ toll gates. Adopting this technology is voluntary at this point, however, the government plans to make it mandatory in future at some locations. Each RFID and the toll vary for different type of vehicle. Each vehicle comes under a certain category and hence the toll changes according to it.
RFID Technology in India is available under the name FASTag and is actually available with a one-time fee of INR 200 only! Interested people can visit the POS at any toll gate or the Issuer Agency and show the RC, valid ID Proof and KYC documents as per the vehicle.
To make people aware about it and generate interest, the government also introduced a 10% cashback at all the toll plazas in the year 2016-17.
Getting it has been made so easy and using it has been easy too. Now with the implementation at 240+ plazas, RFID in India is no longer a dream. It has become a reality that you have to start using!
Don’t wait anymore! Go pack your bags, and plan a trip, also don’t forget to calculate the ETA and while you do that don’t forget to not add the waiting time at the toll plaza!
Happy Journey!