In a bid to digitize India and allow a free flow movement of the vehicles on the road, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, announced that a new method of tax collection will be introduced. This implies the GPS-based toll collection method. The plan is to get rid of all the toll-collection booths in India within the next two years. This is a positive step in the direction of smooth mobility on Indian roads. For the same reason, the FASTags were introduced, so that the vehicle does not have to stop and pay the toll-tax manually.
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How will GPS-based toll collection work?
The process is pretty straightforward. There will be a GPS device fitted to your car. This will give the live location of any vehicle at any time. When you cross a region where you would have otherwise paid toll tax, it will automatically be deducted from your bank account. That means you won’t even have to slow down because there will be no physical barriers. This will ensure that the movement of the vehicles will not be affected in any way. This will definitely end that waiting in long queues, as is the case at the moment, at every toll-collection booth.
Image Source: NHAI
The introduction of the FASTags has achieved this to some extent, but there were still some problems with it. Although it is also now mandatory for all vehicles, it will serve the purpose well till the adoption of GPS-based toll-collection comes in. The point is to remove any human involvement so that the movement becomes fully automated and seamless.
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Currently, all commercial vehicles come equipped with a factory-fitted GPS system. That will be used directly for the toll-collection system. The challenge, however, is to fit the GPS system in the older vehicles. For this system to work, every vehicle must have GPS systems in the vehicle. It will take a bit of time to ensure that every vehicle is equipped with a GPS system. That is why the time frame allotted for the adoption of this system is around two years.
Effects of GPS-based Toll-Collection
There have been many cases where due to some reason or the other, the vehicle owners try to escape the toll payment. This creates a lot of inconvenience to others and creates a traffic jam for everyone behind. Also, naturally, even if no one creates a problem, the time taken to physically make the payment to an individual takes up a lot of time. This will ensure that no one evades the toll payment. With the number of vehicles increasing rapidly on India roads, a system like this is a necessity.
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This will greatly enhance not only the driving experience for private owners, in terms of time-saving, but also for commercial users. In turn, the supply chain quality of goods transport will increase dramatically. In India, roadways are the main source for the transport of goods from one part to another. The delivery times for goods across the country do play a key role in conducting business. Eventually, this will contribute greatly to the economy of the country.
