Last day of deadline sees 1.6 lakh RFID tags installed

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) About 1.63 lakh RFID tags were issued on Friday, the last day of the deadline for installing the tags for commercial vehicles entering the national capital.

Randhir Sahay, Additional Commissioner of SDMC gave a live feed presentation of the toll plazas that depicted functional toll plazas enabling RFID tag-labelled commercial vehicles entering Delhi.

"The new age RFID tag-aided system which facilitates entry of commercial vehicles without any stoppage at toll plazas, cashless transaction, automatic deduction of the amount of the ECC and MCD toll, completion of the process within three seconds, is a permanent solution to congestion at toll plazas and avoiding long queues apart from containing air pollution," Sahay said.

He added that up till midnight of August 23, commercial vehicles without RFID tags will be allowed entry into Delhi by making cash payment whereas RFID-labelled vehicles would be charged automatically.

"The penalty for commercial vehicles without RFID tags will be levied immediately after midnight tonight," he said.

Sahay informed that around 12-15,000 RFID tags are being issued everyday though the number of RFID tags issued on Friday is going to be substantial. Till noon 1.63 lakh tags were issued and it is expected that the figure may touch around 1.75 lakh at midnight.

Commercial vehicles owners especially Ola and Uber cab drivers had protested against the plan and claimed that the civic body was not ready with the proper infrastructure and the drivers have to wait for hours to get the RFID tags installed.

"We have been waiting for several hours just to get the tags installed and now when due to their fault we are unable to get the tags they will penalize us," said Kamal Jeet Gill, President, Sarvodaya Drivers Association.