SDMC passes resolution to sanction funds for RFID systems

New delhi: The SDMC House on Tuesday passed a resolution to sanction funds and provide administrative approval to install RFID systems at 10 proposed entry points in the city and integrate 101 entry points with the newly installed RFID-based toll collection systems at another 13 entry points.

Certain issues had been observed at SDMC's latest 13 RFID-enabled operational entry points, due to a lack of integration or cohesiveness. Drivers of commercial vehicles with fully recharged RFID tag don't carry sufficient cash to pay the toll and ECC at a non-RFID toll plaza. This creates confusion among almost 5 lakh vehicles which have pre-registered for RFID tags but especially among transporters and commercial drivers. It also defeats the purpose of cashless transaction at these 13 points.

Commercial vehicles which are 10 years old, or older, are diverted to non-RFID toll entry points, which defeats the purpose of the Supreme Court banning such old vehicles from operating within the city.

The SDMC said that when the RFID system was implemented at these 13 entry points, they were the busiest in the city. About 85 per cent of traffic entering Delhi came via these entry points. However, after the implementation of RFID-system, done at a cost of more than Rs 80 crore, it was observed that the volume of traffic passing through these toll points decreased drastically due to diverting commercial vehicles to other, non-RFID toll points.