Smart cams to spot toll tax defaulters

NEW DELHI : Commercial vehicles trying to evade municipal tax at the border toll booths by taking the service or free lanes may end up paying twice the amount.

To deal with such erring drivers, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to strengthen its ongoing radio frequency identification device (RFID) project by using high-definition cameras that can spot fleeing vehicles.

The civic agency will place over 100 high-definition security cameras at all free lanes on 11 major toll entry points.

Officials said the cameras would automatically read the registration numbers of erring commercial vehicles passing through the free or service lanes, feed the information in the system and charge drivers twice the toll amount next time they cross the booths.

The decision was taken during a meeting with Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) members on Friday afternoon. “We also asked the civic agency to make arrangements for collecting toll tax in cash as well,” said Bhure Lal,, chairman of EPCA .

“The contractor installing the RFID system will place three cameras at each of the ‘free lanes’. These cameras can capture a vehicle’s number plate from up to 250 metres and moving at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour,” said an official privy to the matter.

The officials said the civic agency not setting up collection booths on all entry lanes at the borders often causes confusion.

“People by mistake or intentionally take free lanes, forcing toll operators to chase them. But after the installation of cameras, they can be penalised later. There will be no need for our field officers to run behind the erring vehicles,”said an SDMC official.

Last month, SDMC — the nodal agency for collecting toll tax in the city — started work of installing RFID devices at 13 toll points used by 85% of the vehicles entering or leaving the city.

The RFID system aims to reduce congestion and confusion at toll booths .