India Toll Plaza Shutdown Planned
Nearly 950 toll plazas in India may shut down next year, promising lower travel costs and smoother highways according to Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The move could significantly reduce road trip expenses across the country.
- The new system will replace physical toll booths with a satellite-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that tracks a vehicle's movement and calculates tolls based on the exact distance traveled. - This "pay-as-you-use" model differs from the current FASTag system, which charges a fixed fee for an entire stretch of highway between two toll plazas. - In addition to satellite tracking, the system will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify vehicles and automatically deduct tolls from the owner's linked bank account. - The transition aims to create a multi-lane free-flow (MLFF) system, allowing vehicles to travel at highway speeds without stopping or slowing down at toll points. - The government projects that this new AI-driven system will save ₹1,500 crore in fuel costs annually by eliminating vehicle idling and congestion at toll plazas. - Vehicles will likely need to be equipped with an On-Board Unit (OBU) to communicate with satellites, similar to how FASTag uses RFID stickers. - The nationwide rollout of this advanced tolling system is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. - Initially, the system may operate as a hybrid, with dedicated GNSS lanes at existing toll plazas before they are completely removed.
