Sir,

Apropos the news item ‘FASTag mandatory for all 4-wheelers’ (SOM dated Dec.19), I wish to express my dismay at the strange rules without application of mind by the authorities.

The report says that all 4-wheelers with no exception to have this tag from Jan.1, 2021. It also links the same with denying renewal of insurance and registration if tag is not purchased.

I wonder what is the logic in excluding the two-wheelers from this scheme. Do they not have to pay the toll?

My question is, why a car owner like me, a senior citizen, having no intention or occasion to go near the Highway or a Toll Plaza but use the car only in city limits be subjected to this mandatory tag? Why purchase a tag which will not be used at all? Why link the insurance to the issues of tag? How does not having a tag is linked to the insurance concerns of the vehicle or the owner?

In the case of promoting electric two-wheelers, the same kind of lack of application of mind is apparent. For all E- 2 wheelers of speed ability less than 30 kmph, the requirement of Driving Licence, Registration, Helmet are all given a go-by. Why? Do they not cause accidents, being stolen, involve head injury, or violate the traffic rules?

Instead of finding better ways to help promotion of E-2 wheelers, the present rules create a new regime of lawless road-users.

Hope our representatives take up the issues with the Ministries concerned at the State and Central level and modify the rules to be more realistic.

I wish to bring to your attention another report right below the subject matter which says ‘India to be Toll Plaza-free in next two years.’ If the long-term objective is to be Toll Plaza-free India, then why make this FASTag mandatory just for two years?

– Prof. B.S. Shankara (retd.), Mysuru, 20.12.2020

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