What Is GPS-Based Toll Collection System That Will Soon Replace Highway Toll Plazas In India?
As early as April this year, India will get GPS-based toll collection systems in place of the existing highway toll plazas in the country.?
On Thursday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the government has engaged a consultant for the implementation of a GPS-based toll collection system on national highways.?
"The government is looking at new technologies including GPS-based toll systems to replace toll plazas in the country...We will bring new technology in six months," he said.?
What is the GPS-based toll collection system and how will it work??
Currently, the majority of Indian highways employ FASTag for toll payment.?
At toll plazas, RFID-enabled barriers scan the FASTag IDs affixed to vehicles and levy fees based on the distance between two toll plazas.?
FASTags had been made mandatory?in 2021?for all vehicles? to pay tolls on highways. Vehicles lacking FASTags must pay double the toll fee as a penalty.?
The new GPS-based toll collection system will have an automatic number plate recognition system which will use cameras installed along the highways to detect the number plate when the car is in motion.?
A toll collection system based on GPS matches the GPS coordinates of a vehicle in motion.?
Accounts will be linked to the number plates, and toll fees will be deducted based on the distance covered by the vehicle.?
Why has the GPS-based toll collection system been introduced??
The GPS-based toll collection system has been introduced in order to reduce the queues at toll plazas, since the FASTag system requires vehicles to wait toll plazas for scanning.?
This is despite the fact that FASTags had itself reduced average waiting time at toll plazas to 47 seconds, from eight minutes in 2018-19.?
With GPS-based toll collection system, cars do not need to halt at all since cameras will scan number plates when car is in motion.?
Plus, cars would be charged for the exact distance travelled on the highways.
Moreover, motorists on the road are free from worries about managing cash, waiting for change, or monitoring their FASTag account balance.?
The toll fee is seamlessly deducted from one's linked account through a secure electronic payment system.?
This not only eliminates the chances of human errors but also eradicates the possibility of toll evasion.?
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