SATELLITE-BASED TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM IN INDIA

1. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the end of tolls, introducing a new satellite-based toll collection system.
2. Money will be deducted directly from bank accounts based on road usage, saving time and money for travelers.
3. He highlighted reduced travel time from Mumbai to Pune, from 9 hours to 2 hours.

Functioning:

1. The proposed system will use the global navigation satellite system, including India's own GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) satellite navigation system, which has an accuracy of about 10 metres. An on-board unit (OBU) will be installed in the vehicles to facilitate accurate mapping and toll calculation.
2. The system will use digital image processing and software algorithms to log the coordinates of the entire length of the country’s national highways, assign toll rates, and calculate the toll amount based on the distance travelled by each vehicle.

Integration with FASTags:

1. FASTags, the radio frequency identification-based toll collection system that was made mandatory by the government on February 16, 2021, will continue to work with the new satellite-based system.
2. It is expected that OBUs will complement rather than replace FASTags, thereby reducing operating costs and increasing efficiency.

Benefits:

The satellite-based toll collection system offers several advantages:

1. Elimination of toll plazas, reducing congestion and streamlining the collection process
2. Dynamic pricing adjustments to optimize revenue collection
3. Flexibility to implement tolling on all road categories
4. Addressing issues related to traffic diversion and toll evasion

Additional Facts

1. India has the second largest road network globally, which will expand significantly to 6.3 million kilometers by 2023.
2. The country's National Highways, accounting for approximately 2% of the overall road network, carrying over 40% of the total traffic.
3. The government's dedication towards infrastructure development is evident from its substantial investment in the expansion of highways and expressways. With ambitious plans to expand the network to 2 lakh kilometers by 2025, India aims to increase connectivity and boost economic growth.

The adoption of electronic toll collection systems like FASTags has already reduced congestion at toll plazas and improved revenue collection efficiency. The satellite-based toll collection system is expected to further increase the efficiency and transparency of the toll collection process, thereby contributing to the overall development of India's logistics and supply chain sectors.

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