Nitin Gadkari says toll plazas will soon be replaced by satellite-based toll collection
As India gets ready to replace toll plazas on national highways may soon become obsolete as India gets ready to replace them with a new toll collection system.oll plazas on national highways will soon be history as India prepares to shift to a new toll collection system which will make them redundant.
According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, satellite-based toll collecting that uses a GPS system and a camera to take a vehicle’s payment would take the place of toll booths. It is anticipated that the new toll collection system, which Gadkari stated will be put into place in March of this year, will begin operations by the summer. To evaluate the viability of the new GPS-based toll collection system, a pilot program is now in place.
Fees will be taken out of the user’s bank account directly by the new toll collection system. The mileage a car has driven will determine how much the toll is. All of this data will be acquired using GPS. At each plaza, toll prices are currently set regardless of the distance a vehicle travels.
Gadkari had declared in December of last year that the new toll collecting system based on satellite technology would go into effect by the end of this month. However, the implementation has been delayed because of the ongoing model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections. Gadkari gave an explanation of the new toll tax system’s time and fuel-saving benefits on Wednesday, March 27. “Back then, the trip from Mumbai to Pune used to take nine hours,” he stated. The trip now takes two hours. Save seven hours of diesel. Of course, we have to reimburse them financially as well. Through public-private investment, we are achieving this. Thus, we will also need to repay the money.” Gadkari has previously declared that trials of the new system have already been carried out. at two places.
Currently, toll plazas on national highways use RFID technology known as FASTag to deduct toll money. On February 15, 2021, it became the required toll collection system. Where there are toll plazas with RFID-enabled barriers, the toll fee is subtracted. The barrier’s cameras scan the FASTag IDs of passing cars and tally the cost according to how far away the vehicle is from the old toll booth. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) receives the toll payments.
It is anticipated that the new system will rationalize toll prices by utilizing GPS-based data on the distance driven by individual vehicles to enhance the collection system.