RFID smart cards to end waiting at toll booths soon

Serilingampally: The IT employees will continue to face the traffic congestion every day at ORR toll booths, Nanakramguda until the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tax is introduced.  Along with the RFID tax smart cards will also be introduced. ORR chief general manager SK Muzaffer Imam said that they were going to introduce RFID tax soon in two months and also the smart cards system. The employees have to wait only at peak hours.

Recently, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority Commissioner T Chiranjeevulu announced putting off smart cards usage on Outer Ring Road for a month following clogging of vehicles in the last few days. Toll can be paid through cash at the booths till that time so as inconvenience in not caused to the commuters. More toll booths and training to staff in accepting smart payments have been mooted, said a press release.

The IT employees are frustrated because they have to wait at tolls not one day but every day. Some of them have to start very early from the home only to reach office on time. The IT employees also tend to change their office only because they cannot bear with the traffic and the ORR toll booths because they have to wait every day for more than 20 minutes.

Especially when there are political meets at the place the situation in different areas worsened due to VIP movement and police blocking traffic to create a corridor for their smooth passage especially in Nanakramguda. There are very few alternate roads where people can even take in traffic. HMDA government said “HMDA is maintaining the Outer Ring Road we will inform to the concerned officials soon.”

Sakshi from Microsoft said, “The commuters in Hyderabad are facing traffic issues at Nanakramguda every day because they have to wait at Outer Ring Road (ORR) for paying toll for more than 10 to 15 minutes every day.” Most of the IT hub’s are at this area of Hyderabad, the reason for them to reach their office late is not because of traffic at signals but at the ORR. She further added they can also introduce the FASTag in the city because it is a perfect solution for traffic hassle on national highways. FASTag is presently operational at 360+ toll plazas across national and state highways.
  
Pavan Minjamuri employee at IT corridor said, “We wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes every day at Nanakramguda ORR exit on peak hours, please enable FASTag for hassle-free entry and exit. We take ORR to save time, this is waste of time.” 

BY Vandana Sharma