Petition Challenging Compulsory Tax, those not Having Fasteg, Delhi High Court Notice UOI

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Union Government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on a petition challenging compulsory double the toll tax on vehicle those are not having Fastag.

The Bench Comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad directed both NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) to file response within four weeks and fixed April 18 as the next date of hearing.

Petitioner Ravinder Tyagi through Advocate Praveen Agrawal filed the petition sought quashing of a provision of the National Highway Fees (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules.

Terming the rule as discriminatory, arbitrary and against the public interest, the plea contended that these rules and the circular had converted all the toll lanes to 100 per cent FASTag lanes with the consequence that commuters not having a functional FASTag were compelled to pay double the toll amount.

FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account linked to it.

As per Tyagi, he was compelled to install a FASTag device in his car because of the compulsion of paying double the toll in cash.

The petitioner said that he had made a representation to NHAI and the concerned ministry, but was not satisfied with the response he got.