Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announces in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that the Centre has initiated a pilot project for a GPS-based tolling system on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway and aims to launch the technology before announcing the Lok Sabha polls.

In a written response to a question posed by Lahar Singh Siroya in the Rajya Sabha, Gadkari stated that the Road Transport Ministry has engaged a consultant to provide advisory services on the implementation of new technologies such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based barrier-less free flow tolling.

Gadkari emphasised that GNSS can retrieve the positioning of the vehicle on the National Highway and calculate the user fee based on the distance travelled. Pilot projects, including on Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway-275 in Karnataka, have been decided to be conducted.

“Soon we will, before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, launch the satellite-based toll system. There will be no toll booths and no stopping. A photo of the number plate will be clicked from where you are entering the toll road and where you are exiting. Money will be deducted from your bank account automatically. Users will have to pay only for the distance they are travelling. We are aiming to launch this scheme before the introduction of the Election Model Code of Conduct,” he said.

The term of the Lok Sabha will end in May, and the country will have elections for it around March-April. When implemented, tolling will be done online either through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras or a GPS device installed in the car that will read the location of the vehicle. There will be a device at the entry and exit of the toll stretch that will read the location of the car. So, drivers not using the entire stretch will only pay for the distance they travelled. It will particularly benefit riders using smaller sections. As per the Ministry, the technology will be implemented across the country based on the results of the pilot. Toll plazas will no longer exist on Highways.