Lesser waiting at toll plazas as NHAI mandates STQC-Certified equipment at toll plazas to speed up FASTag reading
NEW DELHI: Soon, you may no longer have to wait in queues at toll gates due to technical glitches in reading FASTags attached to vehicles. These issues often force toll booth operators to use handheld devices to read the smart tags, causing delays.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has ordered significant changes in the deployment of IT systems and hardware at toll plazas to ensure hassle-free FASTag transactions. Moving forward, the highways authority will only empanel players with substantial experience, requiring them to procure equipment from manufacturers certified by the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) directorate of the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
STQC certification will now be mandatory for equipment such as RFID readers and antennas, automatic number plate readers, toll lane controllers, and toll plaza servers, in line with specifications issued by the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), NHAI’s entity responsible for toll management.
According to the new specifications, system integrators must provide an undertaking to IHMCL. If any deviations are found at designated toll plazas due to equipment issues, the agency reserves the right to immediately suspend the empanelment and forfeit the bank guarantee.
A report by TOI titled ‘FASTag made highways cashless. Here’s why they aren’t jam-less’ highlighted the persistent issues faced by commuters at toll gates, even when their FASTags have sufficient balance. Glitches or inefficiencies in hardware and systems deployed at toll plazas often fail to read tags, forcing toll collectors to use handheld devices.
“We are taking a two-pronged approach to address these technical issues,” said an official. “First, only experienced individuals will be empanelled, and the equipment must be certified by the most credible government agency. Additionally, we will deploy engineers at NHAI’s regional offices for better monitoring and resolution of issues.”
These measures aim to ensure smoother and more efficient transactions at toll plazas, enhancing the overall commuting experience for travelers.
