• Source:JND
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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday that toll collection at plazas will be phased out within a year, with a new electronic system set to replace the existing method and provide a smoother experience for highway users. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, he said the system has already been introduced at 10 locations and will be implemented across the country within a year.

“This toll system will end. No one will stop you in the name of toll. Within a year, an electronic toll collection system will be implemented across the country,” he said.

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Gadkari added that around 4,500 highway projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore are currently underway across India.

According to a recent official statement, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has developed the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme, an interoperable platform designed to streamline toll payments across the nation’s highways. At the centre of this system is FASTag, an RFID-based device attached to a vehicle’s windscreen that enables automatic toll payments from the user’s linked account without the need to halt at toll plazas.

How The New Systems Work

1. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

High-performance cameras at toll plazas capture images of a vehicle's license plate.

The system reads the license plate number using the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

This information is used to identify the vehicle and process the toll charge, potentially through a linked account or via a bill sent to the vehicle owner.

This system works in conjunction with the existing FASTag system.

2. GPS/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based tolling

This system uses satellite technology to track a vehicle's movement.

Tolls are calculated based on the exact distance a vehicle travels on a highway, not a fixed point.

Some new GPS-based systems offer a daily toll-free travel distance (e.g., up to 20 kilometers) before charging a fee.

The system will charge the owner's linked bank account or a prepaid account automatically.

3. Combining Technologies (ANPR-FASTag)

The new "ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System" uses both technologies simultaneously.

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This allows for identification and payment processing without requiring vehicles to stop at a physical toll booth.

For non-compliance (e.g., no FASTag and an unreadable plate), e-notices will be sent, and penalties may be applied. 

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