Innovative Toll Collection: GNSS System Piloted Alongside FASTag on Major Routes

"Innovative Toll Collection: GNSS System Piloted Alongside FASTag on Major Routes"

Union Road Transport and Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the installation of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based toll collection system on selected national roads in India, which would replace the present traditional toll collection systems.

Gadkari responded in Lok Sabha that a pilot study on GNSS-based user fee collection was done on the Bengaluru-Mysore part of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana.

GNSS Toll Collection System

GNSS will be introduced as a trial project alongside the existing FASTag system on selected highways.This novel technology uses satellite positioning to correctly assess vehicle positions and calculate toll fees, potentially replacing or supplementing traditional electronic toll collection technologies like FASTag.

The trial of the GNSS-based system aims to evaluate its effectiveness and dependability in real-world scenarios before full-scale deployment. According to reports, after pilot projects show satisfactory results, the GNSS-based system would be fully operational, easing toll collection over many routes in the future.

Additional insights from Gadkari

Gadkari also stated that the road ministry has created a master plan for national highways to improve logistics. The PM Gatishakti Framework was used to create this plan, which includes expressways and high-speed highways. The transportation model was studied using data from e-way bills, tolls, and traffic surveys.

He emphasized that 697 national highway projects started a decade ago have surpassed their original completion dates. The ministry has several projects in the DPR and tendering stages to improve construction progress in the current and upcoming fiscal years.