The Government of India will soon start testing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based toll collection on the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway. Indian Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed the plan in the upper house of the Indian Parliament while answering a question from a member of Parliament. He confirmed that the pilot project will be launched before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The minister said the government has already hired a consultant to lead the implementation of GNSS-based technology.
“Now we are doing away with the toll and a satellite toll collection system will be introduced. The money will be deducted from your bank account and accordingly the amount for the journey you cover will be charged,” ANI quoted Gadkari as saying.
Efforts to simplify processes and reduce waiting times at toll booths have been reported to the World Bank. The introduction of FASTag has already reduced the average waiting time at toll booths to 47 seconds, a significant improvement on the previous average of 714 seconds.
Gadkari reiterated his commitment to have India’s road network at par with the US by the end of 2024 and said India’s fortunes would change by the end of this year. He said he would “definitely be successful” in achieving this Herculean task.
How does the technology work?
GNSS-based technology enables the exact location of a vehicle, facilitating the collection of tolls based on the distance traveled on a particular highway.
The technology enables seamless movement of vehicles without the need to stop at toll gates for payments. The GNSS-based mode is also economical because it takes into account the total distance traveled on the highway, unlike the current Fastag-based toll collection system.
