MUMBAI: Even though toll booths on national highways, including Mumbai-Pune expressway, falling around Mumbai region will accept only FASTag from Tuesday, the Bandra-Worli Sealink and five entry point toll posts on city's fringes (Vashi, Airoli, LBS, Mulund and Dahisar) will continue cash collection in their few lanes till March 10 and 31 respectively. Meanwhile, there are so far no orders to the traffic police to fine non-tag motorists in Mumbai despite central transport ministry green-signaling the move.
"All the lanes on Bandra-Worli sealink and five entry points of the city are FASTag-enabled. But to meet certain technicalities on part of the contractor we will not make it entirely compulsory in all their lanes thus leaving scope for cash collection in some lanes. On BWSL two lanes each will collect cash besides being fastag-enabled. At entry points, only three to four lanes on either side will have compulsory Fastag payment with rest open for cash and fastag both," said MSRDC jont MD Vijay Waghmare.
The Mumbai Traffic Police have not been given any instructions yet to challan vehicles up to Rs 500 on city roads (non highways) for not sporting FASTags. Even at toll nakas, police will not be involved in charging double the amount or fines. "Our only role will be to ensure there is no congestion at toll nakas. And if a law and order problem erupts, the local police station would step in," said highway police superintendent Sunita Salunkhe. Issues with Fastag had led to a massive snarl on Sion-Panvel Highway at Vashi toll naka on Sunday. Restaurateur Farhan Azmi had tweeted that queues of vehicles were up to 3km long at Vashi toll naka as FASTag scanners were malfunctional.
Interestingly, only at the FASTag stalls set up near toll booths or at nearby bank branches (bank list available on IHMCL website) the motorists can buy stickers instantly (by showing vehicle n personal proofs) and activate them before pasting them on their cars, say toll booth officials. However if one buys the tag online through bank websites, it will take a few days for banks to home-deliver stickers. Since stalls offer quick activation, motorists are queuing up in large numbers, revealed toll booth employees at Dahisar, Mulund and Vashi.
Sagar Patil who issued fast tags near toll booths in Mulund said it was easy to get FASTag as you zip past a toll naka. “In fact, you just need to carry your Aadhar card, RC book (smartcard) and PAN. We just fill up a form and issue a FASTag for which the cost is Rs 200 including loading of Rs 100 cash in the fastag sticker,” he said, adding car owners can use the fast tag within minutes and he can top up the money on fast tag using a bank or recharge site.
There has been a rush of several motorists for the FASTag applications since last week, with the urgency to meet the deadline for installing FASTag stickers by Monday midnight for all national highway booths including pune-expressway that have made it compulsory. However, some of them said they did not get FASTag till Monday afternoon even though they applied on Thursday -- four days before the deadline. "The banks have informed me that I will get the fast tag delivered in seven days. So, if I don't get my fast tag by Monday night, I will be reluctant to take out my car on the roads -- fearing that some cop may fine me Rs 500 for not having a fast tag sticker on the windscreen," said Rupesh Haria, a motorist from Mulund, who applied on Thursday.
National Highway officials said from Tuesday non-tag motorists have to either buy or recharge Fastag at the stalls put up near toll booths or pay double the toll amount as cash counters will be completely replaced by fastag scanners. "There will be no scope for cash payment," they added pointing out that only 70% motorists in western region have bought tags thus a sizable population of non-tag motorists will throw challenges to the smooth movement of traffic from Tuesday.
At some toll nakas like Dahisar, lack of automatic tag readers have led to long queues in the past. "If FASTag has to work, these issues have to be sorted out. At Dahisar toll naka, the scanner is hand held. An operator leans on the car's windshield to scan the FASTag. Sometimes he is unable to do the job even after a few attempts and declares that the FASTag is faulty, demanding payment in cash. Hand held scanners lead to severally long queues and inconvenience people," said a motorist.
BWSL and Mumbai entry points are already charging double toll if motorists enter fastag-only lanes without tag or recharged-tags. In case of cash, motorists have to take hybrid(cash n fastag) lanes. From Tuesday Pune expressway and NH booths in Mumbai region are closing even the hybrid facility thus making double toll fine unavoidable in all lanes in the absence of tags.