Last Updated:
Barrier-free tolling has been proposed for a seamless tolling experience on national highways. It will enhance the efficiency and transparency of toll operations, as per the government
The government has moved from traditional ways of tolling to digitised tolling by adopting electronic toll collection through FASTag. This has reduced the average waiting time at toll plazas from 734 seconds to 47 seconds. (Representational image/News18 Gujarati)
Barrier-free tolling, as proposed by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) for further lowering of the wait time at the highway tolls, will become a reality by the financial year 2028-29, the Economic Survey 2024-25 reads.
Officially called the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based electronic toll collection, the process will be first introduced for all four-lane-plus highways and high-speed corridors, the report published on Friday said.
“The government has targeted the rollout of barrier-free tolling on all four-lane plus NHs and high-speed corridors by FY29,” the report said.
Last year, the ministry invited global expressions of interest from innovative and qualified companies to develop and implement satellite-based electronic toll collection in India.
Barrier-free tolling has been proposed for a seamless tolling experience on national highways. It will enhance the efficiency and transparency of toll operations, as per the ministry.
“Road transport generates the highest GVA (Gross Value Added) within transport services. During FY23, road transport accounted for 78 per cent of the total GVA of transport services. Enhancing user convenience on national highways is central to the growth of road transport,” the report reads.
In this direction, it added, the government has moved from traditional ways of tolling to digitised tolling by adopting electronic toll collection through FASTag. This has reduced the average waiting time at toll plazas from 734 seconds to 47 seconds.
The country has been focusing on building high-speed corridors and multi-laned highways. In the last ten years, between 2014 and 2024, the length of high-speed corridors increased from 93 km to 2,474 km.
The length of national highways, which are four-lane or above, excluding high-speed corridors, grew from about 18,300 km to 45,900 km during the said period.
The country has a 63.4 lakh km road network, including a 1,46,195 km national highway network.
“National highway network forms the arterial backbone of road transport network as even though it comprises only two per cent of total road network yet it carries about 40 per cent of the overall road freight,” the report added.
Mentioning the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the Economic Survey said that by 2024, about 76 per cent of the projects (26,425 km) have been awarded, and 18,926 km have been constructed. The scheme was launched in October 2017 and aims to develop 34,800 km of national highways.
