Journalism of Courage
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the state government has decided to start the smart card system for automated toll collection at all major booths in the state.
In the city to attend an event,Pawar said the decision was taken by the infrastructure committee headed by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in its recent meeting in Mumbai. He said the system will be functional within three months.
We are planning to introduce prepaid RFID-based cards that can be fixed on windshield of vehicles. This will ensure vehicles drive through a dedicated lane at toll booths without stopping. The cards can be purchased at toll booths and require to be recharged from time to time. The toll amount will be deducted automatically as the vehicle passes through a booth.
Pawar said vehicles fitted with cards will have to travel through a separate toll lane.
With skyrocketing land prices,its becoming increasingly difficult to acquire land for expansion of toll booths. Taking into account the increasing number of vehicles,the government decided to introduce electronic toll collection system, said Pawar.
