GPS-Based Toll Collection Starts May 1

Beginning on May 1, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to implement a state-of-the-art GPS-based toll system as a significant step to expedite toll collection and guarantee more seamless passage on national highways. According to officials, this will eventually take the place of the current FASTag system.

GPS Toll in 15 Days: Pay Per KM

Within the next 15 days, the new toll policy will be applied statewide, according to a recent announcement by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The federal government claims that the GPS-based toll system will save time and be more effective than the current one. The new approach guarantees that users only pay the toll for the actual distance traveled on toll roads. To ascertain how far a car has traveled on a toll road, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) will track the GPS device that is installed in the vehicle. The appropriate sum will be automatically taken out of the user’s connected digital wallet in accordance with this.

Toll Booths Out, GNSS In

Unlike the present fixed-rate system, the new system charges drivers just for the distance they travel, which is one of its main advantages. Highway traffic will also be less congested and delayed if toll booths are removed. According to the Ministry of Road Transport, the real-time tracking capability is also anticipated to reduce invoicing problems.

The government’s decision to switch from the US-based GPS to India’s own navigation system caused a delay in the system’s initial rollout date of April 1. The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which India is creating for domestic use, is replacing the widely used GPS.

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was assigned to supervise the deployment of the GPS toll collection system, which was announced in June 2024. Commercial vehicles like trucks and buses will be the first to use the system, with private automobiles and smaller vehicles following in the second phase.