Toll Plazas New Rules: If you travel on highways, you need to be careful now. The central government is very soon going to implement a toll system that will eliminate the need to stop at toll plazas and also help avoid fines. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that a satellite-based toll system will be launched across the country from 2026. In this new system, vehicles will be able to cross the toll plaza at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
The system implemented by the government will be completely automatic. High-speed cameras will capture the vehicle’s number plate and FASTag image, and the toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account linked to the vehicle. This means there will be no need to pay cash, wait in line, or go through any lengthy process.
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Monitoring of speeding
The government will also monitor speed with this new system. If a vehicle reaches between two toll plazas faster than the stipulated time, the system will understand that the vehicle was speeding, and a fine will be automatically issued. Gadkari informed that this system will be operated with the help of satellite technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Benefits of the toll system
Stopping vehicles at toll plazas leads to fuel wastage. According to the government, this can save approximately ₹1,500 crore in fuel costs. In addition, an extra income of approximately ₹6,000 crore will be generated for the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ or emergency fund. This will also reduce the need for employees for toll operations, thereby reducing costs.
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Government’s stance on road quality
Nitin Gadkari also stated that the central government is only working on national highways. It does not take responsibility for state, city, or rural roads. He mentioned that 70 percent of the complaints are related to roads that are not under the central government’s purview. Contractors who perform substandard work will now be blacklisted for two years, and strict action will be taken against them under the law if necessary. Technologies used in the toll system:
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
FASTag-based RFID technology
AI analytics and satellite data