E-toll goes for a toss
Several toll plazas on ORR unable to scan RFID tag
The electronic toll management system, launched by minister K.T. Rama Rao in November, is already in the troubled waters. Just 15 days after the inauguration, the ETC (electronic toll collection) system has become dysfunctional.
The RFID (radio frequency identification) tags issued to motorists are not being recognised at the entry and exist points at toll plazas on the busy GachibowliShamshabad stretch of the Outer Ring Road.
The HMDA introduced the ETC system on the Gachibowli-Shamshabad stretch to help motorists pay the toll while on the go. The HMDA issued RFID tags which would be detected automatically by the toll plaza sensors. Officials claimed that this was introduced for the first time in India.
The project was handed over to Eagle Infra India on a pilot basis for 60 days at 19 toll plazas on the ORR.
Mr K. Rajeev Kumar, who commutes from Shamshabad to Gachibowli, said that he purchased the RFID tag and recharged it with `1,000 to save time at toll plazas. For the last four days, the tag was not being recognised at several toll plazas. “Now, I am forced to rely on manual payments which is a timeconsuming affair,” he said
Mr B. Anand Mohan, chief general manager, ORR, told this newspaper the ETC system had become dysfunctional temporarily due to internet connectivity problems. He added that the RFID tag was not being detected at toll plazas due to low bandwidth. Mr Mohan said that the private agency has been using mere 20 MBPS internet speed when the required speed MBPS.
Mr Mohan said that the HMDA had already instructed the private agency to resolve the issue at the earliest.
He further said that the is 100 HMDA had decided to lay a dedicated internet service with 100 MBPS at all toll plazas along the Outer Ring Road from February. He said the HMDA may operate all toll plazas on ORR.