New Delhi: Rules regarding payment of toll on national highways have been relaxed on 65 plazes in the country for 30 days beginning today.
These 65 plazes have been allowed to convert up to 25 percent of all fee lanes present at the plaza to hybrid, that is, cash plus FASTag lanes for 30 days, according to a statement by the government.
The decision has been taken by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways after NHAI flagged concerns about high cash transactions on these 65 identified fee plazas.
The authority said that there was heavy rush on hybrid lanes after the system of FASTag has come into effect and high cash transaction plazas should be given some leeway.
The decision to convert up to 25 percent of the lanes into hybrid lanes will have to be taken on case to case basis and the authority has to send daily report about each of these 65 toll plazas to the Ministry everyday.
In case the equipment at the toll plaza is not able to read the RFID stickers called FASTags on the vehicle, the authority has ordered that such vehicle should be allowed to pass through for free.
The government has come in for a lot of flak for not being able to implement the FASTag roll out in the country with massive confusion prevailing about the roll out and functioning. There have been several reports of vehicle pile-ups and jams at various toll plazas on national highways since the time FASTAgs have been made compulsory in the country for paying toll charges.