India is moving towards a more technologically advanced system for toll collection on national highways. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the implementation of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based toll collection system at select national highways. This new system will replace the traditional toll collection methods currently in place.
Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha that a pilot study was conducted on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana to test the effectiveness of the GNSS-based user fee collection system. The results of the pilot study were positive, leading to further steps towards implementation.
The ministry has taken a collaborative approach, engaging stakeholders through an international workshop on June 25, 2024. Furthermore, a global expression of interest (EOI) was issued on June 7, 2024, inviting broader industrial consultation with a submission deadline of July 22, 2024. This open approach seeks to ensure the new system is robust, efficient, and meets the needs of all involved parties.
Beyond the new toll collection system, the road ministry has developed a comprehensive master plan for national highways aimed at enhancing logistics. This plan includes provisions for expressways and high-speed highways, designed to facilitate smoother and faster transportation. The master plan was developed under the PM Gatishakti Framework, utilizing a transportation model that considers data from e-way bills (GST), tolls, and traffic surveys.
The minister also addressed the delays faced by some national highway projects. He stated that 697 national highway projects initiated around a decade ago have exceeded their original completion timelines. He attributed these delays to various factors, including land acquisition issues, statutory clearances, utility shifting, encroachment removal, law and order problems, contractor financial difficulties, poor contractor performance, and force majeure events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy rainfall, floods, cyclones, landslides, and avalanches.
Looking ahead, the ministry is actively working to expedite project completion. A series of projects are currently in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and tendering stages, aimed at accelerating construction progress during the current and next fiscal years.
In a separate matter, Gadkari highlighted that approximately ₹ 1.94 crore has been spent so far to clear two bills related to rescue and relief operations at the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand. He mentioned that a few bills remain unpaid, adding that the expenditure on rescue and relief operations was borne by the engineering company involved.
These developments demonstrate the Indian government’s commitment to modernizing infrastructure and streamlining transportation processes. The new GNSS-based toll collection system, alongside other initiatives, is expected to have a significant positive impact on the efficiency of India’s national highway network.
