E-toll tags to be mandatory for trucks on govt duty: Gadkari

For hassle-free movement of cargo, the government has decided to make electronic toll tags mandatory for all vehicles contracted by the government departments.

The decision was taken in an inter-ministerial meeting, chaired by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and it was also attended by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, among others.

It was decided that concerned ministries would take out administrative orders making it mandatory for all trucks contracted by the government departments like FCI, Petroleum, Mines etc to carry FASTags, Gadkari said after the meeting.

FASTag, based on radio-frequency identification technology (RFID), is a simple-to-use, reloadable tag which enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets one pass through the toll plaza without stopping for cash transaction.

Gadkari said the petroleum ministry has already done this to some extent and their about 50,000 POL trucks carry FASTags and LPG trucks are in the process of acquiring the same.

"This will save a huge amount as according to a study, delays at toll plazas result in annual loss to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore," Gadkari said.

The total number of FASTaga issued till February 25 is 3,42,500 with a transaction of Rs 353.37 crore.