NHAI plans detection system at toll plazas to automate penalty

Jaipur: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is considering a proposal to introduce an advanced e-detection system at toll plazas in Rajasthan. In the first phase, the system will be implemented at toll plazas on national highways, with plans to extend it to state highways and city roads.

An NHAI official said Tuesday, "In the initial phase, the system will be launched at seven toll plazas in Rajasthan, including those on NH-52, the Kuchaman-Kotputli state highway, and Jhunjhunu Road."

Under this system, fines will be automatically issued for vehicles with expired fitness certificates, invalid insurance, or missing pollution under control (PUC) certificates as soon as they pass through a toll plaza. Vehicle owners will receive immediate notifications of the fines via SMS. The system will work by using high-resolution cameras and integrated software that will scan the vehicle's number plate.

The system will instantly verify the vehicle's registration details and check for valid documents such as insurance, PUC, fitness, and registration status. If any documents are found to be invalid or missing, the system will automatically issue a fine. An RTO official in Jaipur said, "The govt is also launching a campaign to update vehicle owners' mobile numbers on registration certificates (RC). This can be done through the vehicle portal or by visiting the RTO office. The collected data will be linked to the Union govt's vehicle portal and local RTO databases."

This initiative aims to boost revenue for the transport department and reduce road accidents by ensuring better adherence to traffic regulations. "The system will check documents like the pollution certificate, insurance validity, fitness certificate, registration status, and driving licence. This initiative will help in enforcing traffic rules effectively, and with the new e-monitoring system under the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019, we will also be able to monitor overloaded vehicles," said a transport department official.