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NHAI Launches Pilot of ANPR-FASTag Barrier-Less Tolling Across Select Highways
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) in its endeavor to revolutionize the toll collection process, has undertaken pilot-projects of an ANPR-FASTag-based barrier-less Tolling system on Eight National Highways. The project will be focusing on getting rid of car stops on toll plaza to have a smoother journey and faster itinerary. Noting that, “Barrier-free Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System will be commissioned in selected corridors to increase efficiency in tolling operations by allowing seamless travel and automated deduction of toll charges,” Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari released a written statement.
The system is a hybrid of both Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and current FASTag RFID technology, where vehicle registration is matched with FASTag-linked accounts to pay the tolls with no physical barriers to pay the toll.
According to Gadkari: “Vehicles can move without stopping, reducing speed, or having to remain in a particular toll plaza lane.”
The Government promptly denied speculation that it was moving to a satellite-based toll regime across the country beginning May 1, 2025. The Ministry said in an official clarification: “No decision has been taken regarding the nationwide implementation of satellite-based tolling from 1st May 2025.” It is all about the ANPR-FASTag hybrid method.
Places for pilot locations have already been identified, including Choryasi toll plaza on NH-8 (Bharuch–Surat corridor) and Gharaunda toll on NH-44 (Panipat–Jalandhar segment). They were identified based on traffic volume and road geometry and congestion hot spots.
To strengthen the integrity of the system, NHAI is clamping down on non-compliance by blacklisting so-called “loose FASTags”, which are not put on windscreens but simply held in the hand. Agencies collecting tolls are also directed to report such instances as soon as they do and NHAI promptly puts these tags to blacklist.
The thrust of barrier- free tolling and the emphasis they are simultaneously setting on improved compliance represents a major policy change in the Indian strategy on highway infrastructure. The reforms are seen as a shift toward a digital, seamless and fraud-resistant collection of tolls, and, perhaps, a nationwide transition in the years to come, as one official mentioned.
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