Aryan Grover
To the Bombay High Court, the Centre has submitted that the driving force between making FASTags mandatory is the smooth flow of traffic at toll plazas.
The Centre also informed that the FASTag won’t infringe on the citizen’s fundamental right of movement.
This response was given after a PIL had been filed, raising concerns over the decision to make FASTag mandatory and imposing penalty on vehicles not having it.
The government in its reponse said that the electronic payment would reduce travel time by bringing down lines at toll-payment booths.
The Centre’s affidavit maintained the government’s stance, stating, “The mandate of using FASTag does not violate a citizen’s fundamental right to freedom of movement.”
Apart from the right to movement, the concerns surrounding FASTag have also been that it might be used for surveillance, while the government maintains that not only is the FASTag a safe and secure way of payments, but also results in fuel savings.
The FASTag is an RFID sticker which is scanned digitally to make payments through electronic means. As per the directions issued by the government, it is now mandatory for all vehicles to display the FASTag on the front screen.
If the owner of the vehicle fails to do so, they are obliged to use the extreme left lane and pay double the amount in cash to move past the toll booth.