The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken a decisive step to encourage the use of its electronic toll collection system, FASTag. To achieve this, toll booth operators have been instructed to collect double the toll from vehicles that lack a FASTag or haven’t affixed the sticker to their windshields. Such vehicles could also face blacklisting, the authority announced.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways justified this move, citing that vehicles without FASTag stickers cause unnecessary delays at toll plazas. By charging double the fee, toll operations are expected to become more efficient. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlining this policy have been disseminated to all toll collection agencies and concessionaires. This information will be prominently displayed at toll plazas, ensuring user awareness. Additionally, CCTVs installed at toll booths will record registration numbers of vehicles lacking FASTag stickers. To further promote FASTag adoption, banks issuing the tags have been instructed to ensure that the stickers are applied to windshields at the point of sale.
Meanwhile, the government is actively pursuing the development of a GPS-based toll collection system. This innovative technology is expected to replace the current FASTag-based system, offering enhanced speed and efficiency. The new system, currently undergoing testing on five to 10 highways, will be piloted on select stretches before being rolled out nationwide.
The NHAI is working on a satellite- or GPS-based tolling system that would introduce a more equitable way of collecting tolls on highways. This system will collect tolls on the go, eliminating the need for dedicated toll plazas. Geofencing of highways using GPS or radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies will create virtual boundaries, enabling the software to detect vehicle entry and exit. This will require vehicles to be equipped with a device capable of tracking their movement, and toll will be calculated based on the distance traveled upon exiting the highway. This system will allow commuters to pay lower tolls for shorter distances, unlike the current system where a fixed toll is paid for a specific distance at toll plazas, regardless of the actual distance traveled.
The GPS-based system relies on sensors, eliminating the need for commuters to stop at toll plazas to pay tolls. Highway users will need to register themselves and their vehicles, linking bank accounts for seamless toll payment transactions.
