In case a vehicle is registered as commercial but is transporting essential goods and services, the driver will be allowed to claim a refund. Congestion and confusion at toll booths in border areas over the collection of toll tax and green cess will soon end, with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) set to introduce radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to collect the money automatically without halting vehicles. Around six lakh vehicles enter the capital every day. Leader of the standing committee in SDMC Shikha Rai said the technology will be used at all 13 toll points, from where 85% of vehicles entering Delhi pass through. Rai, who is executing the project, added that the move is expected to decrease pollution in the city. The South Corporation will introduce a public help booth within a 500-metre distance of all 13 toll booths, from where drivers can collect the RFID tags. The device will be installed on the windshield of vehicles. Each time they enter the capital, money will be deducted automatically. RFID cards, issued by the civic body to owners of the vehicles, will have to be recharged regularly, said Rai. “At the time of issuing the tag, we will collect all details of the vehicle. This will help us separate vehicles that have to pay only toll tax, and those that have to pay environment concession charge (ECC or green tax),” Rai added. The project will cost the civic body Rs 80 crore, which will be funded by the green cess. The work order has been issued and the project is expected to be completed in six months, said an official. “The corporation will gradually make it mandatory for commercial vehicles to get RFID tags. This will help prevent entry of vehicles older than 10 years, which have been barred by the Supreme Court,” said an official. In case a vehicle is registered as commercial but is transporting essential goods and services, the driver will be allowed to claim a refund. “We have cameras at toll booths, through which we will check the owner’s claim and refund the money,” said an official. Commercial vehicles entering Delhi have to pay an ECC between Rs 700-Rs 1,400, and toll between Rs 100-Rs 2,000 — depending on the size and category. The corporation will, in the beginning, have a separate lane for vehicles registered under RFID. But such lanes will gradually be increased as the plan is to make it mandatory as per guidelines of the SC-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority, Rai said. Anumita Roychowdhury from the Centre for Science and Environment said, “RFID will help Delhi at three levels. It will reduce pollution as there is lot of confusion near toll booths due to manual collection which creates congestion; minimise corruption as human interference will be less; and help in better monitoring of trucks that enter Delhi. If implemented properly, it will reduce the number of vehicles as trucks older than 10 years will not be allowed to enter.”