RFID Tag Violations: more than 2600 Owners & drivers have been Penalized since Sept.13

There have been consistent efforts put in by the authorities to curb the menace of traffic jams in Delhi and the regions surrounding it. For the same, the government agencies have been consistently reminding commercial vehicle owners and drivers that in order to enter Delhi, it is now mandatory to have RFID Tags in their vehicles. As per SDMC, even after selling more than three lakh RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), owners and drivers are still reluctant to further utilize this technology. In order to showcase that Government is no longer in mood to be anymore flexible on this regard, more than 2600 Owners and drivers have been penalized for the lack of RFID on their vehicles in recent times.

These 2600 plus vehicles were either caught without any RFID tags or their tags had insufficient funds to make the journey. The aforementioned number is a combined total from 13 major entry points into the national capital. As per the officials involved in the proceedings, since Friday, September 13, 2019, there has been clear order that only RFID Tag bearing Commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi.

Those failing to showcase their RFID tags and the ones who did not have enough balance in them have both been penalized as per SDMC. The penalty amount has been set at twice the amount of toll they were to pay along with an additional Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) over it. This has become a necessity since out of more than three lakh RFID’s that have been sold till date, only 14,654 vehicles have gotten their RFID tags recharged, while just 3226 commercial vehicles actually made payments through the RFID tags for entering Delhi. It is rather disheartening to see just how reluctant vehicle owners and rivers are to recharge their RFID tags.

To add further to the woes of authorities, many vehicles used free lanes to enter Delhi without showing their RFID tags. However, as per the officials, the numbers of these vehicles have been noted and further actions are being taken over these law breakers. For the same, on orders of Mr. Bhure Lal, Chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA), officials have been directed to issue notice through traffic police department to the owners and rivers of these vehicles. Mr. Bhure Lal added that any vehicle found to be evading the RFID Tag toll lanes at any of the 13 entry points to Delhi will be prosecuted for contempt of the Supreme Court order.