Pass Through Toll Plazas Without Stopping! Free Flow Toll Collection Introduced on NH48 at Chorayasi

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has inaugurated India’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) barrierless toll plaza on NH48 at Chorayasi, near Surat in Gujarat. The move was announced by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, following earlier trials. 

Drivers who pass through the toll collection point do not have to stop or slow down at all, as the amount can be debited from their FASTag pass remotely using automatic numberplate recognition. If the transaction is unsuccessful, car owners will receive an e-Challan which must be paid within 72 hours, or double the toll amount will be charged as a penalty.

This move, which is likely to be replicated across the country, promises to make highway drives easier by eliminating the congestion typically seen at toll plazas, reducing travel time, fuel consumption and vehicular emissions. The agency also says this will reduce disputes and improve revenue collection by eliminating toll evasion. Furthermore, it will allow for quicker and easier transportation of goods by road across India, making commercial operations easier and more efficient.

In addition to the first pilot project at Choryasi, the government has previously stated that Gharonda, Nemili, UER-II, and the Dwarka Expressway are candidates for barrierless toll collection trials.

Barrierless toll collection is a continuation of the MoRTH’s programme to fully digitise toll collection across India. Cash payments have already been heavily discouraged with the aim to eliminate cash entirely. However, a satellite-based toll system that would track vehicles and charge drivers for exactly the distance covered on highways, first proposed by the ministry over two years ago, is still some time away.

In April this year, the National Highways Authority of India, under the MoRTH, began enforcement action against users sharing FASTags between vehicles, using the national Vahan database to match vehicle registration numbers. Car owners must also now clear any pending toll dues before they can obtain a fitness certificate or NOC to sell a car and transfer its registration.