KOCHI: Electronic toll collection across tollbooths in Kerala touched an average 36 per cent with Pampampallam, Walayar, recording the highest cashless transacted booth with a daily average of 46 per cent collections coming via the FASTag route.
Officials at the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said the FASTag is increasingly used by the vehicles at the tollbooths after seeing the benefits such as seamless movement and minimal traffic congestion for those using FASTags.
FASTags are mandatory for vehicles effective from January 15, after the initial dates were postponed by a month from the earlier scheduled date of December 15.
The average collection of 36 per cent through the FASTag in Kerala, however, is lower than other states, where the average collection is inching over 50 per cent. Over 1.15 crore FASTags have been issued by NHAI through multiple points of sale across the country. More than one lakh FASTags are being issued on a daily basis.
Officials said the main reason for lower number of cashless toll collection in Kerala vis-a-vis other states is due to the fact that the state has just four toll plazas. “We cannot compare Kerala with other states as in entire state there are only four plazas in three districts,” a senior NHAI officer told TNIE.
After Pampampallam, the average FASTag collection is highest at Ponnarimangalam in Ernakulam and Paliyekkara in Thrissur at 36 per cent each. The lowest FASTag-based toll collection is reported at Kumbalam where only 25 per cent of the collection is through the cashless route.
Vehicles affixed with FASTag, which is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, do not have to stop at toll gates as charges are deducted from the prepaid or bank account when the vehicle is moving. Drivers do not have to stop their vehicle to make transactions as the toll collection will be done electronically under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme.
The NHAI officer said FASTag was made operational in Ponnarimangalam tollbooth from November this year only. “However, FASTag system was installed in Pampampallam, Paliyekkara and Kumbalam in the last two to three years,” he added.
