Wait at toll plazas to become a thing of past

Your long wait at toll plazas on national highways may soon come to an end.

Just like VIP cavalcades, the common man would also get faster clearance at toll plazas if the Centre’s plan to introduce a radio frequency identity (RFI) scheme for cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles materialises. 

A five-member panel headed by Nandan Nilekani has suggested the scheme to the road transport and highways ministry. Nilekani has also submitted a report on making  toll plazas across the country high-tech by 2012.

Under the scheme, an RFI chip will be fitted to vehicles. Whenever a chip-fitted vehicle will approach a toll barrier, it will automatically open after machines installed at toll plazas would read RFI IDs. The money paid at the toll plaza would automatically get deducted from the chip.

The machines installed at toll plazas to read RFI IDs would cost Rs2 lakh each. Vehicle owners will have to pay Rs100 for the RFI chip. RFI chips can be recharged like prepaid cards.

Commuters spend average 10-15 minutes at toll plazas. Installing RFI technology would  ease traffic flow. Moreover, the RFI scheme would help the government track vehicles.