Soon, One Nation One Tag for Toll payments across the country

With an aim to make seamless travel in the country, PM Modi govt is moving in direction to have One Tag that will be used for Toll payments either be at National Highways, state highways or even at the municipal toll Collection point.

Central Govt is of a viewpoint that why people need to buy multiple smart tags to pay toll on different roads. Representational Image, source: Reuters

Govt is the mulling the idea to have One Nation One Tag. Just on the lone of One Nation One Ration Card, govt is planning to soon come up with One Narion One Tag for Toll payments. One Nation One Tag , the concept simple means that with the help of just one Tag or the Fast Tag, a road user can make digital payment at Tolls across the country.

With an aim to make seamless travel in the country, PM Modi govt is moving in direction to have One Tag that will be used for Toll payments either be at National Highways, state highways or even at the municipal toll Collection point.

Currently, FastTags , the RFID-based smart tag can be used to pay toll on the national highway network and a few state roads and it's mandatory for Commercial vehicles to have a separate tag to enter Delhi, which is issued by the municipal corporation.

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Sources close to the development says, said if more municipalities follow the Delhi model of issuing separate tags for paying entry tax, commercial vehicles with all India permits may up having several tags on their windscreens. Sources says that couple of rounds of discussions has already been done to bring both
the municipal toll tag and the FASTag on one platform.

Road transport ministry officials , the nodal.ministry tasked to take the concept forward, said to bring all state governments on board for "One Nation One Tag", it has called a meeting of transport ministers and top officials in the second week of October, which will be chaired by Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari.

Central Govt is of a viewpoint that why people need to buy multiple smart tags to pay toll on different roads. Sources says that the ministry has been getting complaints and feedbacks from many commuters that they can't pay the user fee on state roads through the FASTag fitted in their vehicles. Sources says that the wide usage and popularity of FastTags cant be achieved until the same tag is allowed across all roads and even for paying the parking charges in cities.
Earlier the Road Transport ministry has already set December 1, as the deadline for vehicles to have Fast Tags for seamless travell through the Toll Plazas.

Road Transport Ministry officials says till now nearly 60 lakh FASTags have been issued or sold for cars, taxis, buses and trucks across the country. Currently, these tags are allowed to pay toll on 17 state roads in Uttar Pradesh, Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad, some roads under the state road development corporations in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Sources said the Centre and states would need to work out a mechanism to share the user fee. The highways ministry has already announced that states can join the central platform without any additional expenses.

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Ministry indicates that in an effort to bring down the use of multiple smart tags to travel on rolled roads and pay entry tax, government will roll.out One Nation One Tag in next couple of months.

By: Sameer DIXIT, Zee Media

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