December 1, 2019 is the deadline for the mandatory use of
FASTag for all private and public transport vehicles, at toll plazas on
all national highways (NH) across India. This will reduce the time one had to
spend at the toll gates for making payment.
The FASTag, enabled with
Radio-frequency Identification (RFID), has to be attached on your car's
windshield. This is linked with registration details of your vehicle. As one
passes through the designated toll gate the RFID code detects your vehicle and
the toll fee is deducted from the prepaid balance you have. All this is smooth
and fast and you don't have to waste any time on the toll gate.
Now, if
the authorities want, this FASTag can help in checking crime too. We often read
news of theft of cars. And most of these stolen cars are sold in another state.
Only recently a gang of car thieves were caught who used to steal cars in UP
and NCR and sell it in the North East. Now, all these cars, if they are driven
from one state to another, will have to pass through several toll gates. The
FASTag will necessarily read this car too. Same would be the case when a criminal is known to be travelling in a particular vehicle. By flashing the vehicle number the detection may be a little easier.
I may be wrong, but would
request the Home Ministry and state Police to look into this.
