New Delhi, 4 December (H.S.): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced in the Lok Sabha that the existing manual toll collection system in the country will be phased out within a year. It will be replaced by a new, fully electronic toll collection model designed to deliver a seamless, barrier-free travel experience for highway users.

Responding during Question Hour, Gadkari said the new technology-driven system has already been launched on a pilot basis at ten locations, adding that it will be expanded nationwide within the next year. “This existing toll system will end. No one will stop you in the name of tolls anymore. The electronic toll collection system will be implemented across the country within a year,” he assured members of the House.

The Minister revealed that over 4,500 highway projects, amounting to ₹10 lakh crore, are currently under progress across India. He emphasized that once the new model is fully in place, the need to stop at toll plazas will be completely eliminated.

Explaining the mechanism, Gadkari said under the upcoming framework, only the vehicle’s entry point will be recorded. Using automatic number plate recognition and FASTag integration, vehicles will be digitally identified and the toll amount will be directly deducted from the user’s bank account based on the distance traveled.

Gadkari asserted that the initiative aims to enhance transparency and convenience while effectively eliminating congestion at toll plazas nationwide.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar