An automatic number plate recognition system could soon replace toll plazas in India. The government is conducting pilot projects in this regard, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. Under this advanced new system, vehicle owners don't need to stop at toll plazas, as the fee would be deducted from their bank accounts.
"We are going to launch automobile number plate technology (Automatic Number Plate Reader cameras) by which there will be no toll plazas," he said at an event.
Why government is introducing this new system?
Despite 5.56 crore FASTags being issued and 96.6 per cent of tolling happening through the technology, congestion at toll plazas on national highways continues to be a problem. During 2018-19, the average waiting time for vehicles at toll plazas was 8 minutes.
With the introduction of FASTags during 2020-21 and 2021-22, the average waiting time for vehicles has now come down to 47 seconds. Although that is a considerable improvement in the waiting time, at certain locations, especially near cities, and densely populated towns, there are still some delays at toll plazas during peak hours.
Gadkari said after the introduction of FASTags, toll income of state-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) increased by Rs 15,000 crore per year.
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Last month, Gadkari said that the government is now looking at two options -- a satellite-based toll system where the GPS will be there in a car and the toll will be directly subtracted from the passenger's bank account and the other option is through number plates.
"We are in the process of introducing GPS instead of FASTag while using satellite and on the basis of which we want to take the toll. Technology is also available on number plate and there is good technology available in India," he said.
"We will select the technology. Though we have not taken an official decision, in my view on the number plate technology there will be no toll plaza and there will be a sophisticated computerised digital system by which we can give relief. There will be no queues and people will get great relief," the minister had said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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