The government is planning the end the Fastag system in Idia. It is likely to be replaced by GPS toll.
The FASTag system is designed to reduce queues at toll plazas on the highways. It requires you to have the FASTag installed in your car. The Indian government went all in on this technology. So much so that the people who don’t have the FASTag in their cars have to pay twice the amount of the toll when paying with cash. The government claimed that FAStag will enable drivers to pass through the toll plazas without any hassle. Now, it is working to make it obsolete and bring a new GPS-based toll tax collection system. Subsequently, the toll plazas will be abolished in the next 6 months.
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Mr. Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road and Highway Transport, India) has been at the forefront of bringing many new changes to Indian roads. Now, he has mentioned the plans of abolishing the much-touted FAStag system and toll plazas in the next six months. This will be a huge relief for the general public. Apparently, the government is looking for more efficient ways of toll collection. As per recent reports, a new GPS toll system is already being tested on Indian highways. It will allow drivers to pay the toll according to the distance traveled on the highway. The satellite-based toll system will debit the toll amount from a passer-by’s bank account through the GPS installed in his/her car.
The new information was shared by Mr. Gadkari during an assembly session in Rajya Sabha. In addition to a GPS-based toll tax collection system, MORTH is also testing an option of a computerized system that will read the number plate of a passer-by’s vehicle for toll collection. he even mentioned that he prefers this method. However, the government is working on both these alternatives currently. The final decision will be taken in a month. A bill for these changes will soon be introduced in the parliament. It is likely to include penalties for the people who fail to pay toll taxes.
GPS Toll System
The new system will essentially track your car which brings a whole set of privacy concerns. However, the toll charges seem to be fairer. You will be charged according to the distance traveled on the highway. When the car starts driving on the tolled road, the GPS-based toll collection system starts recording your journey. It stops when the car exits the tolled road. The new pro-rata basis charge system means that you will pay the toll depending on the kilometers he has driven on the expressway. It is to be noted that the toll booths charge a stepped price in their current form. The GPS toll system is already working successfully in several European countries.
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FASTag Legacy
The Indian government made the FASTag mandatory to push its usage in all vehicles. It was promoted as the futuristic way to pay. Apart from toll booths, the FASTag could possibly be used to pay at the fuel pumps and parking lots. However, these alternate uses have not become popular yet. Now, the FASTag itself seemed to be on the exit route. Having said that, there is a significant increase in the number of FASTag transactions in recent months. More than 97% of vehicles use FASTag to pay the tolls. The FASTAGs have been very profitable for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). The National Highways Authority of India’s daily collection of toll amounts is around Rs 120 crore per day.
The FASTag-based toll collection uses the RFID method for collecting tolls. Since its introduction, around 5.56 crore FASTAGs have been issued to the general public. The primary purpose of this method was to reduce long queues at the toll plazas and easy digital payments. While the latter purpose has been a success, there are still several instances of long queues at toll plazas. This might be the reason behind the government testing out better alternatives. While it is not clear which method of toll collection will be used, the toll booth-free highways in next six months seem like a great goal.
