GPS-Based Toll Collection in the Next 6 Months: Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: The central government has decided to implement new technology in terms of the national highways of the country to make the travelling experience smoother, especially when it comes to the toll gates on the highways.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced on Friday that the existing toll plaza system will be eliminated within the next six months and it will be replaced by a smart system involving the collection of taxes via GPS-based systems. This new technology will eliminate the need of stopping at toll plazas on national highways across the country.

This step is aimed to reduce the traffic congestion at the toll plazas at the highways of the country and to charge motorists for the exact distance that they have travelled on the national highways. "The government is looking at new technologies including GPS-based toll systems to replace toll plazas in the country...We will bring new technology in six months," said Nitin Gadkari.

Speaking at an event organised by the CII, the road transport minister mentioned that the National Highways Authority of India currently collects toll revenue worth Rs 40000 Cr, which is expected to rise to Rs 140000 Cr in the coming 2- 3 years.

The minister also mentioned that the department is conducting a pilot project. The project aims at the reading the number plates and deducting the necessary taxes automatically from the accounts specified by the owners of the vehicles. Thus making the system completely automatic.

Although the average waiting time at the toll plazas of the country is mentioned to be less than a minute after making FASTtags compulsory for vehicles, the ones near the major cities and densely populated areas see huge congestion on a daily basis. During peak hours and on festival days, the problems seem to increase multifold across the country.

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