Dehradun, NTI: The Uttarakhand Transport Department is set to introduce an Automated Vehicle Green Cess Collection System (AVGCCS) at state borders for vehicles entering from other states. To implement this system, the department is currently searching for a suitable company. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have already been installed at all border checkpoints in the state.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Uttarakhand government issued a notification mandating the collection of green cess from out-of-state vehicles. However, until now, the system has not been effectively implemented on the ground. Initially, the transport department aimed to collect green cess through toll plazas, but plans have since shifted. Under the revised approach, the new system will employ intelligent tolling software to enable automatic cess collection.
In this process, the software will read the vehicle’s number plate and send a request to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The relevant vehicle’s FASTag wallet will then be identified, and the cess amount will automatically be deducted from that account. The entire transaction is expected to be completed within seconds. This automated collection system offers two main benefits: first, it will generate revenue for the state from the influx of vehicles, and second, it will provide the government with valuable data on the vehicles entering the state.
In recent years, vehicles with Bharat Series (BH) registration numbers have become more common across India. Additionally, many vehicles with out-of-state registration numbers are registered in Uttarakhand. While ANPR cameras and software can track these vehicles’ number plates, the Transport Department plans to write to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to obtain specific codes from the vehicle registration portal for more accurate data tracking.
