A Fastag toll booth. File
| Photo Credit:
S_SIVA SARAVANAN
The Union government recently told the Bombay High Court that making FASTag (electronic toll collection system) mandatory for all vehicles plying on the national highways does not breach a citizen’s fundamental right to freedom of movement in any way.
The government made its stand clear in an affidavit filed on April 6 in a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the decision to make FASTag mandatory at toll plazas on all national highways. It says FASTag was made compulsory to ensure seamless traffic movement and cut travel time short.
All decisions had been taken in accordance with the Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) Rules. In cases where it was not possible to fit vehicles with the tag for any reason, they were permitted to still ply on the extreme left of the FASTag lanes.