India soon to go "toll-plaza free" with GPS technology: Nitin Gadkari

Delhi: Enhanced GPS-technology will be introduced in Indian highways within the next two years to make vehicular transport toll-free, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday. With the idea of making vehicular transport easier all across the country, the Union Road Transport and Highway Minister also revealed that the system will be such that the toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account based on the movement of vehicles.

While addressing an industry event called the ASSOCHAM Foundation Week Programme in Delhi, Minister Gadkari said that a Global Positioning System-based technology will help the exchequer earn Rs 1.34 trillion in the next five years. "With the help of Russian Government we have accepted the GPS system and in the next two years we will have a toll collection system running on GPS technology," he further said at the event. "In two years, India will be toll naka (barrier) free."

According to the Minister's estimates, the toll collection in India is supposed to reach 34,000 crores in three months by March 2021,  and the income in the next five years will be 1.34 trillions. Stressing that the use of a technology-based collection system will avoid any leakages thereby transferring all  money in a transparent manner, Minister Gadkari said that all older vehicles will come with GPS system soon. Commercial vehicles however come with their own vehicle tracking systems.

Reportedly, in the event, Minister Gadkari shared his views on the theme 'National Infrastructure Pipeline critical for economic revival across sectors' and spoke about the importance of industrial development in employment generation and poverty eradication in India. The Minister also expressed his hope that industrial opportunities will also impact the growth and boost-up of regions other than the metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Recalling that the FASTag users in the country breached two crore-mark in November this year, he further noted that adoption of FASTag among road users has increased total toll collection to Rs 92 crore per day, compared to Rs 75 crores a year back.

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