The severe financial crisis of municipal corporations has postponed the second phase of the project to install radio frequency identification (RFID)-compliant lane systems on the Delhi border to collect tolls to alleviate congestion and prevent old polluting vehicles from entering Delhi.

The Supreme Court ordered SDMC to install RFID tag systems at border points to collect tolls and environmental compensation fees (ECC). In the first phase, citizen groups installed RFID systems at 13 border points in January 2019. It is expected that by January 2021, citizen groups will equip 10 border entry points in the capital with fences and RFID infrastructure.

A senior official of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation stated that the expansion will require at least 110 million to 120 million rupees, and the citizen group does not have the funds for the project. “The first phase of the project was implemented in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Court and the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Administration (EPCA), using 1.2 billion rupees collected as environmental compensation fees (ECC). The Air Quality Management Committee directed implementation The second phase of the project, but there is no clear source of funding.” An SDMC official who asked not to be named said.

There are 124 border entry points in Delhi, of which only 13 have RFID tag systems. Use handheld devices in other locations to collect tolls and ECC.

On August 14, 2020, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (the node agency implementing the RFID project) announced that by November 2020, all toll stations will be equipped with handheld devices to read RFID chips, and 10 other toll stations will be installed appropriately Labeling infrastructure. To the border point in January 2021.

SDMC Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti said in his budget speech on Tuesday that 111 border entry points are equipped with handheld devices for toll collection, and a central control room has been set up in Moti Nagar, leading to all major entry points. “The control room has detected vehicles trying to bypass the system without paying tolls and ECC,” he added.

News Source: Hindustan Times