Delhi gets barrier-less toll system: What this means for travellers on highways

The commuters who move in and around Delhi will soon get to experience a drastic change in their highway journey as India gears up to implement the concept of barrier-free toll collection to ease out traffic. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the new Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) barrier-less tolling system at the Mundka–Bakkarwala toll plaza on the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), marking one of the latest steps in India’s shift towards fully automated toll collection.The new tolling approach seeks to resolve the issue of traffic delays at toll plazas, one of the major grievances faced by highway travellers in India. With the MLFF tolling method, the requirement to stop and pay toll at the booths is no longer necessary; instead, tolls can be automatically deducted even as the vehicle travels through the toll plaza. This is achieved through the use of FASTags and ANPR cameras. In what the government terms as a milestone, the MLFF tolling method was recently rolled out at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza on the Surat-Bharuch stretch of National Highway 48 in Gujarat. The officials state that it is a step toward the government’s broader goal to upgrade the infrastructure of highways in India and eventually do away with toll plazas in the country by the year 2026. Travellers will benefit immensely from a decreased waiting time for payment. Regular toll gates usually form a bottleneck during weekends, festive periods, and peak times, especially near metropolitan centers. With barrier-free tolling, cars need not stop to pay but rather maintain their speed. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways believes that the innovation will promote fuel economy and help minimize exhaust emissions due to stationary cars waiting to pass through tolls.The technology behind the barrierless tolling innovation will depend on FASTag compatibility. Cameras placed atop the toll gates will read the plate numbers of passing vehicles, and FASTag sensors will confirm the registration of the car in the VAHAN database. AI-powered systems will cross-check the two data entries and deduct the tolls.The Mundka toll gate on the UER-II corridor has been undertaking MLFF trials in recent days.The government has stated that the deployment may extend to other highways and cities provided the adoption of the technology becomes successful. The move would put India among many countries where barrier-less toll collection is used on expressways and highways.The process, however, may not be entirely problem-free. Experts have highlighted that the success of the project would rely on proper data and information regarding the use of FASTags, vehicle registration numbers and, above all, the ability to penalize those using invalid FASTags. In addition, there have been issues relating to incorrect billing and technical problems.Nonetheless, the government is viewing the process of implementing the barrier-less toll payment system as the most significant development in India’s highway sector in recent times. For frequent travellers and tourists as well as logistics companies that utilize highway infrastructure, the process could lead to less hassle, reduced fuel costs, and shorter traveling time.