The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) on Tuesday notified amendments to the national highway (NH) toll collection system introducing GNSS-based (satellite-based) electronic toll collection, which will provide a seamless and barrier-free tolling experience.
The Ministry revised the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 introducing the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as a method for toll collection.
Under the GNSS-based barrier less free flow tolling, vehicles equipped with GNSS will have to pay any toll for travelling up to 20 kms on NHs, post which the charge will be on the actual distance travelled.
This system is in addition to existing FASTag and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology. These technologies eliminate the need of physical toll collection systems thereby reducing the waiting time at toll plazas.
“A driver, owner or person in-charge of a mechanical vehicle other than National Permit vehicle who makes use of the same section of national highway, permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel, as the case may be, shall be levied a zero-user fee up to 20 km of journey in each direction in a day under GNSS-based user fee collection system and if the distance travelled is more than 20 km, then fee will be charged for actual distance travelled,” the notification said.
Exclusive lanes can be earmarked for GNSS On-Board Unit (OBU) fitted vehicles, with penalty equivalent to two times the user fee applicable at that fee plaza, for vehicles without a valid and functional GNSS On-Board Unit, it added.
GNSS On-Board Unit means a non-transferable and firmly fitted device in a vehicle linked to Global Navigation Satellite System based user fee collection.
The MoRTH conducted pilot studies on the GNSS-based user fee collection system on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 (old NH-71A) in Haryana.
Post the studies, a stakeholder consultation through an international workshop was organised on June 25, 2024. Global Expression of Interest (EOI) was invited for wider industrial consultation on June 7, 2024. The last date of submission was July 22, 2024.
It was decided to initially implement the GNSS based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System at selected sections of NHs on pilot basis as an added facility along with FASTag.