The Dwarka Expressway in New Delhi will soon implement a ‘free flow tolling’ system which would eliminate physical toll plazas. The system will utilise advanced FASTag readers and high-power cameras installed on overhead gantries to automatically deduct tolls from vehicles moving at speeds up to 100 kilometres per hour, The Times of India reported on Monday.
One of the key benefits of such a system is the elimination of traffic congestion. Though gantry-based tolling is being done on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, there is a toll plaza in Meerut to check the user fee payment. In this case, tolling gantries will be installed at the Delhi-Gurgaon border, the report said, adding that toll charges are yet to be finalised.
NHAI sends proposal to recover unpaid toll dues
The NHAI is also exploring passive mechanisms to recover unpaid tolls. For this purpose, the agency has urged the transport ministry to update the ‘Vahan’ system to streamline the penalty recovering process. It has proposed adding a section titled “unpaid user fee due” to the online portal, similar to the display for unpaid traffic challans.
To boost accountability, the proposal aims to penalise vehicle owners by prohibiting them from transferring registration, obtaining a No Objection Certificate, or receiving a fitness certificate until the dues are cleared. Owners will have seven days to either pay the outstanding amounts or raise objections to the notice, The Times of India report mentioned.
Under the proposed satellite-based tolling system, seen as a future solution to tolling systems, Global Navigation Satellite System will be used to track a vehicle’s movement to calculate tolls based on the distance travelled.
First Published: Sep 30 2024 | 10:29 AM IST