Highlight
- Launch automobile number plate technology, automatic number plate reader cameras.
- During 2018-19, the average waiting time of vehicles at toll plazas was 8 minutes.
- While using satellite, the process of replacing FASTag with GPS is being started.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that the government is running a pilot project to replace toll plazas with automatic number plate identification system, which will deduct charges from the bank accounts of vehicle owners. Speaking at the Mindmine Summit, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that after the introduction of FASTag, the toll income of the state-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) increased by Rs 15,000 crore per year. “And now, we are going to launch automobile number plate technology (automatic number plate reader camera) by which there will be no toll plazas,” he said without giving further details.
During 2018-19, the average waiting time of vehicles at toll plazas was 8 minutes. With the introduction of FASTags during 2020-21 and 2021-22, the average waiting time for vehicles has now come down to 47 seconds. While this is a considerable improvement in waiting times, in some places, especially near cities and in densely populated cities, there are still some delays at toll plazas during peak hours. Last month, Gadkari had said that the government is now looking at two options – a satellite-based toll system where a car will have GPS and toll will be deducted directly from the passenger’s bank account and the other option is through a number. plates.
“We are in the process of replacing FASTag with GPS while using satellite and on the basis of which we want to charge tolls. Technology is also available on the number plate and good technology is available in India. “We will choose the technology. Though we have not taken an official decision, but in my view there will be no toll plazas on number plate technology and there will be a sophisticated computerized digital system by which we can give relief. There will be no queues and people There will be a big relief,” the minister had said.
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