Net gag hurdle for NHAI Fastag project
Amit Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 25
With the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) deciding to make Fastag mandatory for all kinds of vehicles at toll plazas, the project of having Fastags on all vehicles have faced initial bottlenecks in Jammu and Kashmir due to Internet blockade since August 5.
The prevailing situation has also created jitters among NHAI officials who too are looking out for a solution to the problem to meet the December 1 deadline.
The NHAI has decided to make all toll lanes as Fastag lanes at toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir, by which the toll will be charged automatically from the Fastag account of the road user. The department has already accelerated the campaign to appeal the vehicle owners to install Fastag on their respective vehicles.
The project is getting a good response across the country, with 40 to 70 per cent Fastag transactions on each toll post till date, but in Jammu it is just 10-15 per cent till date and in Kashmir it is confined to cash only.
The main reason behind the poor response in J&K is the Internet blockage in the Union Territory of J&K, where Internet services were snapped on August 5, ahead of bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories and abrogation of Article 370.
Due to the non-availability of Internet services, people are unable to get Fastag as it is available at a few banks and toll plazas only, but the recharge process requires Internet.“We are working on the project to make it 100 per cent Fastag transaction in J&K. However, it is not possible in Kashmir where we don’t even have broadband services. But in Jammu, people who have Internet at home or workplace, have installed it, but still we have a long way to go,” said Hem Raj, Regional Officer ,NHAI, J&K.
“We are facilitating the consumers at toll plazas, but Internet suspension is still a hurdle in fully implementing Fastag. We hope that Internet will be restored soon,” he added.
