[guyfrmblr]

Instead of implementing such complicated solutions, they should just think of upgrading the existing Fastag system to support high speed electronic tolling that exist in other countries. This does not require any vehicle to slowdown and eliminates all the conventional toll booths. This reduces all types of congestions generally found in the toll booths.

The picture below shows the new high speed electronic toll system that replaced all the conventional toll booths in the state of Massachusetts, USA in 2016.

Image Source: https://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/10/...ould-know/amp/

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by fz_rider

The government is aiming to make all the toll booths barrier free, using GPS.

This looks highly unlikely as we have still not achieved 100% Fastag users.

It's going to take years, although the idea is good.

[srishiva]

However good meaning our Transport minister is, you dont need such a complicated solution. They are trying to become more controlling for every rule they are making now a days creating irritation to public. They need to remember that good governance is to be involved as less as possible with our lives at every step. Everything involves creating more overheads and un-necessary expense.

Either stop charging cess on various things or else just use that and stop these useless things.

[RadixLecti]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Instead of implementing such complicated solutions, they should just think of upgrading the existing Fastag system to support high speed electronic tolling that exist in other countries. This does not require any vehicle to slowdown and eliminates all the conventional toll booths. This reduces all types of congestions generally found in the toll booths.

I would love to see something like this in place. Anyone who's been to Singapore will have seen how well the ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) system works. However that is Singapore and this is India. When we can't ensure that all vehicles on our roads have insurance, I can't imagine how we would implement a such a system. And it's not GPS based, which removes privacy concerns.

Even though Fastag has improved my life to some extent (especially since it is now accepted at MEP toll booths like the Vashi bridge and the Bandra-Worli Sealink), the improvement comes more from the convenience of not having to fumble for change or open the window at all.
When I'm unlucky enough to get stuck behind some fool with a 'fancy' number plate arguing about having to pay double-toll in cash in a Fastag lane I end up losing time because I've adopted the 'faster' system.

[narayans80]

On another news, this came up. And this 'smart card' system is being 'proposed' even though it is slower than Fastag even by feasibility studies.

This just means that there is no consistency in thought process at all.

6 years after the introduction of Fastag, we still have an overwhelming number of users who pay cash. Worse even is the compliance, I've lost count how many times the car ahead whips out cash or card on the Fastag lane. Few times the non compliers are made to reverse out, sometimes not. And not all highways have the real-estate to have escape roads to filter out no compliers.

The detection rates have improved even from pre-Covid days, and I've breezed through many at 1st or 2nd gear creep, which is a far cry from reverse-forward routines from 2 years back.

On my recent trip in November, there are many toll booths that sell Fastag with instant activation like SIM cards in 2005.

As many commenters mentioned, the short term goal should be to improve on Fastag than add more entropy to it.

Even for a non-complaining Fastag user in me, GPS based collection sounds a bit too intrusive, especially in a privacy disrespecting country like India.

[samy1117]

This is atrocious decision by the minister. GPS based toll collection is just more efficient way to loot common man. I do appreciate the fact that we do not have to slow down/wait at toll plazas thus saving time and fuel.

The problem I see with GPS based toll collection is that even someone commuting thru toll roads few kilometers where there are no toll plazas currently will have to pay toll. This is how the minister plans to increase the toll collection.

Toll system should be abolished in first place as everyone pays lot of money already to the government in terms of road tax, exorbitant taxes on fuel etc. Minister is not coming with any plans to improve the quality of the roads. He is only interested in finding ways to get more money out of our pockets.

Currently, there is no government regulator to frequently check and certify the quality of the toll roads. Most of the toll roads are not maintained properly and we still pay tolls with hikes every few months.

SC should direct all Toll plazas to show visible display sign showing how much money they spent on building roads, how much collected so far and how much money yet to be collected. This will help commuters to know the current status of the toll plaza's collections. Now, nobody knows these figures and toll operator/NHAI keep collecting tolls without any end in sight.

The minister talked about steel price raise. However, no word on fuel prices where government sells at 200+% markup.

[Sran]

I will then travel by bus and dump car before letting anyone install gps in my vehicle. I keep location in off mode on my mobile devices. I already dislike fastag because of data collection and anyone with an iota of powertrip has the ability to know about my whereabouts. I do not want internet inside my cars. I just want a good vehicle without any connected apps. Let me drive in peace.

[lordtottuu]

I would be extremely wary of giving the government continuous, unfiltered access to my vehicle's GPS data, specially given the extremely lax perspective they have around privacy. Not to mention that between the abhorrent fuel cost, road taxes, cess on everything, running a car in India is expensive already. I hope the policy dies a quick death in committee.

[Reinhard]

I'm rather disappointed at this move. Its too ambitious. (Goes to show how little expect from our country & people off late thanks to decades of inaction.) I think there are some better things to do before this is implemented. For starters - designing & making roads that are safer. All the focus in our country seems to be around making a road on paper & then starting toll collection.

Such technology has so many limitations, flaws & potential for technical issues - that it can realistically never be implemented at the scale of India. If implemented - it will not be the grand success that they are touting. Nor is it needed. I'm really fed-up of this beating-the-dead-horse approach by our administrations. Same projects being run over and over again with small changes. But target area remains the same! Come on guys - find other places to execute some really useful ideas that make a difference to people's daily lives

Lastly - if such a thing was envisaged within next 2 years - Why all this fanfare about FasTags, modernized toll booths and further crowding at toll plazas? We make projects with a life-span of just 2 years now? (This said - I myself am a proud fastag user since 2017.)

[Lobogris]

This is just a sensational announcement and is not likely to see the light of day for the next decade. Search for Delhi Gurgaon commuter pods that Gadkari has announced would start from next year since 2013. That scheme has been abandoned without a trace. This will meet the same fate.

[DreamcarFerrari]

This looks like a sensational statement to bump up the stock prices of the Russian firm. Other than this there is no other reason for such a statement to be made by the minister.

If by chance this project goes through after clearing all the hurdles, can these guys ensure they don’t charge toll prices for those using service lane or pass below a toll flyover.

Had many instances where I was on service road the GPS displayed the vehicle to be on toll road. Similar problems where there are flyovers over non toll roads.

You pass beneath a toll road flyover and your pockets are light.

[tsk1979]

This has potential for huge money saving. So many traffic police officers need to be paid salary. That can be avoided. This way vehicle GPS will auto deduct from your bank account if you over speed.

So you pay for the GPS, and then police does not need to buy speed guns and have excess traffic police at all. Direct bank debit for over speeding. And god help you when you get wrong speed readings due to loss of signal etc., temporarily.

[Tucker48]

I recently paid 100% toll fee for using only about 25% of the toll road. So, I welcome Gadkari's intent but instead of toll booths, fastags, GPS, better use cameras for toll collection using vehicle number plates. Yes, implementing it will be a pain in the butt, but what's easy to implement in India.

[Pri2]

The whole idea of GPS based toll collection is to reduce infrastructure and cost related toll collection. Here are some of the benefits of this system (Of course for the govt) :

- It lets you dynamically add toll collection on whichever road the govt wants to collect toll on. (Likely to be implemented)
- Lets to dynamically change toll charges based on the time of the day (Unlikely to be implemented)
- Can help implementing congestion toll / tax in cities with traffic congestion. (Likely)
- More schemes like Odd even (Likely - Our politicians will be innovative)
- Tracking Parking & Traffic violations like speeding (Difficult to implement)
- Can help track and charge Road tax for inter state transfers. (Very Likely)
- Track vehicle theft / crime (Unlikely- This will never be ever put to use)
- Track activists / political opponents and those who make the govt uncomfortable (Very likely to be implemented - But wont be made public)
- Last but not least - Have a behind the scenes / under table deal with the company that gets the contract to run this show (We all know the likelihood of this)

[nick.cs]

Well this one definitely is way way off.

NHAI was supposed to introduce prepaid cards even we already have Fastag + cash option. The implementation of it even though after so much efforts and push is still falling short. I think the government is spending to test new ideas especially without giving a thought of investing this money in making safer roads with better markings and instructions

Few points to wonder

• I wonder will we have special lanes for GPS enabled cars?
• What happens if the person is using the lanes which runs parallel to the main highway toll lanes but is not a part of the highway. Will GPS get that? What if it debits you incorrectly?
• Will then the next logical step be to deduct challans generated from Fastag / GPS linked accounts?