GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4720
ANSWERED ON 15THDECEMBER, 2016
MOBILE WALLET TO PAY TOLL AT NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
4720. SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:
HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:
KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:
DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:
SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:
SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has authorised the use of mobile wallets to pay toll at National Highways (NHs);
(b) if so, the details thereof and the objective behind the move;
(c) whether a mobile company has received approval from the National Highways Authority of India to digitize payments at toll plazas on NHs, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has also asked banks to install POS machines at toll plazas for payment through debit and credit cards, if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the other steps taken by the Government in the interest of vehicular passengers?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)
(a) & (b) Yes Madam, Government has notified the use of pre-paid payment instruments vide Notification G.S.R 1114 (E) dated 02.12.2016 for collection of user fees from road users. This is to permit road users to opt for available cashless modes of payment. Government has facilitated the Concessionaire/Contractor to introduce the mobile wallet service at their toll plazas for efficient operation.
(c) No, Madam.
(d) NHAI vide Circular No. NHAI/CO/14/2016 dated 21.11.2016 has facilitated the Concessionaire/Contractor to use POS machines for collection of user fees through credit & debit card.
(e) NHAI has rolled out a cashless payment mechanism (FASTag) by implementation of Electronic Fee Collection system on pan India basis w.e.f. 25.04.2016. The initiative provides seamless travel (near non-stop movement of vehicles) through the fee plazas and convenience of cashless payment of user fee.
Whether opted or not, Banks issued debit cards to account holders, and later when card using became popular, started charging for holding/using cards. In a similar way, will the Govt. allow the service providers, banks, payment companies, etc. to charge the users once the digital mode of payment becomes popular, after popularising it by incentivising now. Will the govt. come forward and assure (through an unabigous bill in the parliament) the citizens of India that it will not allow such companies or firms, banks etc. to charge for digital transactions in the long future to come.