Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways has confirmed that the center will replace the existing toll system in India with a more effective satellite-based toll collection system. This is a revolution in itself, wherein this satellite based technology will allow drivers to pay money for the toll from the bank account automatically. The amount will be calculated with respect to the amount of distance covered by them. 

This comes on the recommendation regarding the complaints of high toll taxes. Union Minister Gadkari said that highways save time and fuel and cited an example by saying that earlier, it used to take about 9 hours to travel from Mumbai to Pune, but, if we look at it now, the same time has been drastically reduced to 2 hours. This introduction of technology was announced back In December last year, wherein, Gadkari had announced that NHAI will roll out its new system by March 2024. 

So, what exactly is the GPS-based toll plaza system?

And as the name depicts, the NHAI will introduce toll collections that run viz GPS technology. This means that drivers need not stop at plazas to pay toll charges. The toll instead will be deducted automatically from the bank account of vehicle owners. This will greatly reduce the traffic and especially help truckers who are always on the highways. 

Before heading to the benefits, let’s look at how this system will work:

Satellite-based Toll Collection System is a GPS-based toll system that will match the GPS coordinates of a moving vehicle to calculate the fee pertaining the the distance it has travelled. The toll fee would automatically be deducted as the vehicle approaches a collection point. 

Having said that, all the vehicles must be integrated with the new number plates which would be linked with the aforementioned satellites using GPS for this technology to work in the first place Here, the automatic number plate reader (ANPR) cameras which are installed on highways will trace the GPS-enabled number plate of customers and deduct the money as per their respective travel distance from their bank account. 

This GPS-based technology will gather critical information pertaining to vehicles, such as registration number, type, and bank account details. Through the use of this technology, users can enjoy a complete automation when it comes to toll payment as toll is automatically deducted from the user’s account whenever a vehicle passes through the virtual toll booth.

As India has its own satellite navigation systems which are called GAGAN (GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) and NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), these systems have been known to significantly boost the precision of satellite signals within India. Even adding more value, these satellites are also capable of expanding the coverage by up to 1,500 kms beyond its borders; hence enabling seamless vehicle tracking and efficient toll collection across India’s vast road network.

In addition to this, the current approach which is the FASTags system has been made mandatory for all four-wheelers from February 2021. This innovative system is being used to deduct tolls at plazas, wherein, it is an electronic toll collection system where ‘Radio Frequency Identification’ (RFID) technology is leveraged to make toll payments. This RFID technology chip connects with toll booth readers wirelessly. To take a real-time situation at hand, a vehicle which is equipped with a FASTag approaches the toll booth, the RFID chip produces a unique 13-digit identification code, which is received by the toll booth reader. This code is then linked to the vehicle owner's prepaid account, thereby allowing for automatic deduction of toll charges. As per a credible report, the average waiting time for vehicles at toll plaza was 8 minutes during 2018-19. With the introduction of FASTags, the time was significantly reduced to 47 seconds. 

FASTags make toll payments electronic by using scanners at toll plazas, letting vehicles pass without stopping. With the GPS-based system, toll will be deducted using the ANPR technology based on distance traveled, making toll plazas unnecessary.

It is also important to know how the toll tax actually works in India. In India, based on the length of stretch under one project which is normally 60 kilometers the toll is generated. While, if a stretch is of lesser length, user fee of the actual length is collected nonetheless. Also, the fee is also determined by the type of vehicles based on the size and load they carry. 

Benefits of Satellite Based Toll Collection System

Fairer Billing: Another perk for the vehicle owners would be the actualization of a pay-as-you-use model. This system aims to offer users the benefit of paying tolls with respect to the actual distance it has travelled.

Low Infrastructure Investment: GNSS-based tolling systems significantly reduce the need for heavy infrastructure if we compare it to traditional toll plazas which require extensive roadside infrastructure and physical gantries. So, the virtual toll booths will really eliminate the need for physical structures, thereby resulting in the needed cost savings and easier maintenance as well.

Smoother Traffic Flow: It is evident that the removal of toll plazas is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak hours and most importantly for Indian truckers.

Faster Commutes: Another evident benefit would be a frictionless toll collection which will further lead to quicker travel times and a more seamless highway network.

Flexible Charging Schemes: Charging schemes such as distance-based tolling, time-based tolling, or congestion-based tolling will also be available for the users of GNSS-based tolling. With this flexibility at the user’s disposal, it will greatly enable a fair and efficient toll collection; successfully catering to the different road users’ needs.

Scalability: Today, scalability is needed everywhere. Speaking of which, GNSS technology can provide a scalable solution which can cover more extensive road networks or accommodate future growth in traffic volume. So, as road networks evolve in India, GNSS-based tolling systems can adapt and scale up without adding up significant additional investment.

Enhanced User Experience: With GNSS-based tolling, vehicles can travel without slowing down or stopping anywhere along the highway and expressway, leading to reduced traffic congestion and smoother journeys for commuters.

Also, know about he challenges that we might encounter:

Payment Recovery: There will be a great concern on recovering tolls from users who have depleted digital wallets and from those who tamper with the system itself.

Enforcement Infrastructure: Setting up a nationwide network of Automatic Number-Plate  Recognition (ANPR) cameras for enforcement purposes will be a cumbersome process as it requires significant infrastructure development.

Privacy Concerns: Another severe problem that may haunt the users are privacy and data security concerns.