New Delhi: Back in March, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that there should be no toll plaza within 60 km on national highways. He said he would ensure if it is implemented within three months.
Fast forward to August, Nitin Gadkari announced that all old vehicles will be fitted with new number plates before toll booths are abolished in the country. These new license plates will be the first step in eliminating toll plazas.
These new license plates can be directly tracked via satellite using GPS and a sophisticated system. “The use of tamper-resistant High Security Number Plates (HSRP) for new vehicles has been started since 2019, where government agencies can get all the information about the vehicles.”
“We have now decided to provide the same label to old vehicles as well.” “Currently, you have to pay full tolls even at toll plazas 60 km apart. Now, if you drive just 30 km on the highway, with the help of new technology, you will only be charged half the price.”
The transport minister also said the Center is working to make the country free of toll plazas soon, though the initiative is still in the planning stage.
He said: “Vehicles will not be stopped and therefore there will be less pollution and it will also save time. With the new technology, money can be deducted directly from drivers’ bank accounts. About 97% of vehicles in India are already on Fast-tag. India’s road infrastructure would be at par with that of the United States before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The abolition of toll booths does not mean that you will not have to pay any motorway tax. It means that this new system will be more efficient in deducting from your account. Many countries around the world already follow this system where the fee is directly deducted using cameras located on these highways.
These cameras detect the car’s number plate. This is directly linked to the car owner’s bank account. All this happens without problems without the car having to stop, so the road is free of obstacles and traffic.
