How about driving through toll booths without having to stop for paying toll?
Electronic payment of toll is one among the several possibilities of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on newly purchased vehicles after the Union government amended the Central Motor Vehicle Rules in December 2013, making them mandatory for vehicles.
RFID tags come encrypted with details such as engine and chassis numbers, colour code and batch code among others. There are clear instructions on the tag not to peel or screen it.
Left unusedNotwithstanding its utilities, RFID tags have largely been left unused.
The State Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) is exploring the possibility of putting RFID to complete use. Highly placed sources told The Hindu that intra-departmental discussions were being held on the possibility of leveraging RFID tags on vehicles at toll booths and check posts.
A hurdle is the absence of RFID tags in older vehicles, sources said.
A senior MVD official said proper utilisation of the RFID tag served several purposes.
Toll collection can be made easier, and motorists will be spared the inconvenience of stopping and paying toll at every booth, he added.
“One option is to incorporate the bank account details of the vehicle owner in the RFID tag, so that as soon as a vehicle passes through a toll booth, the RFID tag is read, and the toll amount is automatically debited from the bank account,” the official said.
TrackingIt could also be used for vehicle tracking. For instance, installing RFID reader at important points like the Vyttila Mobility Hub will enable enforcement officials and law enforcement agencies to garner details of vehicles, which have entered and left the hub. It could even be an effective replacement for manual punching for private buses.
