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No Toll Up To 20 km For Private Vehicles With Global Navigation Satellite System
Starting from Tuesday, private vehicles equipped with a functional global navigation satellite system (GNSS) will be exempt from paying tolls on highways and expressways for distances up to 20 kilometers per day, according to a government notification. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, which came into effect on Tuesday.
Amended Rules and Distance-Based Fees
Under the amended rules, known as the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, fees will be charged based on the actual distance traveled if it exceeds 20 kilometers. The notification states that a “driver, owner or person in charge of a mechanical vehicle other than a National Permit vehicle who makes use of the same section of the national highway, permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel, as the case may be, shall be levied a zero user fee up to 20 kilometres of a journey in each direction in a day under Global Navigation Satellite System based user fee collection system.”
Pilot Implementation and Benefits
The highway ministry had previously announced its decision to implement a GNSS-based toll collection system on a pilot basis at select national highways, alongside the existing FASTag system. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari mentioned that pilot studies were conducted on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana.
The implementation of the GNSS-based electronic toll collection (ETC) system within the existing FASTag ecosystem will initially use a hybrid model, with both RFID-based ETC and GNSS-based ETC operating simultaneously. This system is expected to provide several benefits to highway users, such as:
- Barrier-less free-flow tolling for a hassle-free riding experience
- Distance-based tolling, where users pay only for the stretch they have traveled on a national highway
- More efficient toll collection, helping to plug leakages and check toll evaders
The GNSS-based toll collection system aims to facilitate smooth movement of vehicles along the National Highways, enhancing the overall experience for motorists.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
