Image Source: AGENCIES

Highways to become toll booth free. Govt to launch GPS-based collection soon

18-03-2021

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari announced in the Lok Sabha today that government is all set to roll out complete GPS-based toll collection within one year. He said 93% of the vehicles pay toll using FASTag, but the remaining 7 per cent have still not taken it despite paying a double toll. "I want to assure the House that within one year all physical toll booths in the country will be removed. It means that toll collection will happen via GPS. The money will be collected based on GPS imaging (on vehicles)," Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour. The minister said he has instructed police inquiry for those vehicles which do not pay toll using FASTags. There are cases of toll theft and GST evasion cases if FASTags are not fitted in vehicles. FASTags, which facilitate electronic payment of fee at toll plazas, was introduced in 2016. From February 16, vehicles without FASTag are required to pay double toll fee at electronic toll plazas across the country. Gadkari said new vehicles have FasTags fitted in them, while the government has said it will give free FASTags for old vehicles. Last year, while addressing the ASSOCHAM Foundation Week Programme, he had shared his perspective on the theme ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline critical for economic revival across sectors,’ and explained that the toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account based on the movement of vehicles. While now all commercial vehicles are coming with vehicle tracking systems, the Government will come up with some plan to install GPS technology in old vehicles, he said.