[miharbe]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Instead of having pre-paid amounts, there should also be a system of linking one's credit card to it, so that one is not caught unawares when the balance is low.

What happens if i sell my car and forget to remove the RFID tag from it. The next user will enjoy free toll for as long as he uses the car?

Originally Posted by tilt

In the Greater Toronto Area in Canada, there is a toll road. There are no toll booths at all. There are gantries at each on- and off-ramp that take a picture of the vehicle's licence-plate and mail you a bill. If the bill stays unpaid, you cannot renew your registration or driver's licence or you will be pulled over by a cop the next time you are on the road.

This seems like a better and workable solution. They could/should also send us a monthly bill/statement like they do for some utilities. Or an instant notification where we can agree/authorize the charges immediately. If we don't then it will not work the next time.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by forester

What happens in case of cars manufactured after October 2013, wherein it has become mandatory to equip them with an RFID tag on the front windscreen? Shouldn't these already existing tags and codes on these newer cars be used and linked with the accounts instead of putting up entirely new tags from the banks?

The RFID tags are available on the top left corner of your windscreen. In fact these tags were made mandatory mainly for the purpose of electronic toll collection. Once the system is in place, you should be able to simply drive through the dedicated lane on the toll plaza. No waiting for paying toll. The amount will be automatically debited to your card or bank account as the case may be.

Originally Posted by miharbe

What happens if i sell my car and forget to remove the RFID tag from it. The next user will enjoy free toll for as long as he uses the car?

If you attempt to remove the tag from your windscreen, you will damage it permanently. Removing the tag should not be attempted at all. I'm sure if you can link your credit card/bank account to the RFID tag, there will be a provision to delink the same too.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by miharbe

What happens if i sell my car and forget to remove the RFID tag from it. The next user will enjoy free toll for as long as he uses the car?

Yes. You forget something in today's internet world, you lose a lot!

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by miharbe

This seems like a better and workable solution. They could/should also send us a monthly bill/statement like they do for some utilities. Or an instant notification where we can agree/authorize the charges immediately. If we don't then it will not work the next time.

This system may not work considering that many people own cars on fake addresses. e.g. Mumbaikars have their cars registered either in Thane or Navi Mumbai to save the octroi.

Any system will work provided there is strict enforcement, which will make people follow it.

[torque!!]

It's going to be impossible to stop people from getting into the ETC late unless there is a penalty for doing so. Simply charge 2x the toll amount for a non ETC holder in cash and very soon you would have your problem solved

[rpunwani]

IMO charging 2x will not solve the problem, it should be more like 10x. That will hurt most people.

Or probably make the fine at Rs. 5,000/- same as the proposed fine for jumping a signal.

[Dry Ice]

This does look appealing on paper but I am sure the ground realities will be a lot different. They will tune the system to open the barrier once your tag is detected - effectively killing the concept of fast passage. Not blaming the govt, but it is required as well - otherwise, how do you make sure non-tag cars don't zip through the tag only lanes. And once you have non-tag cars in the tag lanes paying by cash, this whole concept goes down the drain.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

They will tune the system to open the barrier once your tag is detected - effectively killing the concept of fast passage. Not blaming the govt, but it is required as well - otherwise, how do you make sure non-tag cars don't zip through the tag only lanes.

Such a system is in place in the elevated highway at Bangalore. It may not be perfect but it works. So much so that many folks it IT companies in that area use it. What the toll operators have done is to mark a lane exclusively for the RFID holders. It is generally closed by a barricade. A sentry is placed there, who would open the barrier when he spots a vehicle with RFID approaching. There would be a delay of around 10 seconds here. Then the vehicle moves on, the boom barrier opens up automatically (less than 3 seconds) and vehicles zooms past. The same track is used to clear ambulances, police & VIP vehicles.

Now compare this with you waiting in a queue, a car driver ahead of you gives a Rs.500 note (for a toll of 50 Rs.), and the clerk takes time to give back the change. Time taken would be easily close to 45 seconds to 60 seconds.

Toll booths should have dedicated lines for RFID holders. And perhaps have a penalty (extra toll collected manually, with a fine) if a non-RFID driver acts smart and tries to through the RFID enabled counter. And off course what is required here is good media campaigning. Every possible example should be used to show-case how RFID devices helps the drivers in the long run, to cross toll booths quickly. India is never short of too-clever-by-half smart alecs and plain idiots, but the rest of the folks should move on.

[Dry Ice]

I have been on the elevated toll, just when it was opened. I remember while coming from e-city, cabbies queuing up for the tag lanes and then the attendants directing them to other lanes - creating chaos! Now though I guess, with better enforcement, things have improved.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

India is never short of too-clever-by-half smart alecs and plain idiots, but the rest of the folks should move on.

That's precisely the problem. I think, we as Indians, trust our ears more than eyes - we never seem to follow boards or written instructions and are always looking for someone to actually read it aloud to us!

Plus with the manual labor being dirt cheap, we are not accustomed to automated system well - always looking out for that bhaiya or chotu.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

That's precisely the problem. I think, we as Indians, trust our ears more than eyes - we never seem to follow boards or written instructions and are always looking for someone to actually read it aloud to us!

Most of us Indians also readily fall for one thing - flattery. Some one telling us that we are the best possible stuff to happen in this whole world. A good media campaign which shows cases RFID FASTag user as some one who is super intelligent and others as dumbos, may also simplfy things .

[rtandon]

Anyone knows how to get a FASTag? ICICI and AXIS bank websites don't have anything about it.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by rtandon

Anyone knows how to get a FASTag? ICICI and AXIS bank websites don't have anything about it.

I guess nation wide launch is planned only around Dec. However even I am not able to get much details apart from the news information in first post.

Also from what I understood ICICI and Axis banks are just payment gateways for the collection system. They are not implementing the same.

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

A good media campaign which shows cases RFID FASTag user as some one who is super intelligent and others as dumbos, may also simplfy things .

Yeah However, this could backfire as well. Imagine the booths where there is only one ETC lane and all "super intelligent" drivers queue up in the single lane! I guess, then it may be faster to cross the manual lanes rather than the ETC lane.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Yeah However, this could backfire as well. Imagine the booths where there is only one ETC lane and all "super intelligent" drivers queue up in the single lane! I guess, then it may be faster to cross the manual lanes rather than the ETC lane.

ETC lanes may be still faster as money transaction would not be happening. It would be more of a "Stop-wait a second-Go".

[nkishore_007]

This is a good thing to happen. One other thing it will cater to (if enforced well) would be the tracking the whereabouts of vehicle/s. Damaged tags should be flagged in the tolls in a FYI database in case there is a need to investigate retrospectively.

The toll debit should be run time (sending bills home will not make sense). In few countries, there are tolls where you must lower your speed to some acceptable figures, while there are tolls (motorways) where you can simply zip through.
Of course this initiative will have to start small in India. I do not think the average Joe in the street will comprehend and take it as their responsibility.