NEW
TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM - ECONOMY
News:
Is the government going
to introduce a new toll collection system?
What's
in the news?
●
The government is planning to implement a
new highway toll collection system based on the global navigation satellite
system.
New
Tolling System:
Objective:
●
Its objective is to provide users the
benefit of paying toll only for the
actual distance travelled on a highway, or pay-as-you-use.
●
In future, the system may allow
barrier-free movement.
Features:
1.
Satellite Navigation:
●
The system relies on global navigation satellites, including India’s GAGAN, to pinpoint
the location of vehicles with an accuracy
of about 10 meters.
2.
On-Board Unit (OBU):
●
Vehicles will have an OBU, a device that tracks their movement on the highway.
●
The toll charges, based on the distance
traveled, will be automatically deducted from a digital wallet linked to the
OBU.
3.
Enforcement Gantries:
●
Highways will have gantries with CCTV
cameras to ensure compliance.
●
They will check if vehicles are trying to
avoid tolls by tampering with or not using the OBU.
Fastags
and New Toll Collection System:
1.
Coexistence with FASTags:
●
The new satellite-based system will
coexist with the current FASTag system.
●
It’s undecided whether OBUs will be
mandatory for all vehicles or just new ones.
2.
FASTags Efficiency:
●
FASTags have achieved significant
compliance for toll collection, but the satellite system promises lower
operational costs and eliminates the need for physical toll plazas.
Challenges
Ahead:
1.
Payment Recovery:
●
Collecting tolls could be tricky if a
vehicle’s linked wallet runs out of money or if drivers bypass the system.
2.
Enforcement:
●
Without physical toll barriers, ensuring
that all vehicles comply, especially those without OBUs or with OBUs turned
off, could be difficult.
3.
Legal and Technical Infrastructure:
●
The government needs to update laws for
toll collection and address the absence of gantry-based systems nationwide.
●
The success also depends on the quality of
license plates for automatic number-plate recognition.