GUWAHATI: Beginning May 1, road travel on India’s national highways is reportedly set to undergo a major upgrade with the launch of a GPS-based toll collection system. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is reportedly preparing to phase out the current FASTag mechanism in favour of a more advanced satellite-based model that charges a toll based on the actual distance travelled by a vehicle.
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The new tolling method, known as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), is aimed at enhancing traffic efficiency and eliminating the need for vehicles to stop or slow down at toll booths. Unlike FASTag, which relies on RFID tags placed on windshields and still requires passing through physical plazas, GNSS tracks vehicle movement using satellite signals and an on-board unit (OBU) or tracker.
Toll charges under this system will be calculated in real-time, based on the exact distance driven on national highways, and deducted automatically from a linked digital payment source. The system will offer both prepaid and postpaid billing options.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently confirmed from Nagpur that the GNSS-based toll collection will be rolled out by the end of April. The original launch was scheduled for April 1 but was pushed back to ensure smoother implementation. Authorities now expect the deployment to begin within the next two weeks.
The shift to a GNSS system is expected to revolutionise highway travel by eliminating physical toll plazas altogether. With virtual tolling in place, vehicles will no longer need to stop or slow down, resulting in smoother, faster journeys and reduced traffic congestion.
Since its introduction in 2016, FASTag has been instrumental in reducing cash transactions at toll plazas, but it has faced issues such as technical glitches and long queues during peak travel hours. The new satellite-backed model is seen as a significant step toward a more efficient and user-friendly tolling experience on Indian highways.
