[fz_rider]

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

Excerpt :

“We have finalized a GPS system with the help of Russian government. In two years, India will be toll naka mukt," Gadkari said at the ASSOCHAM Foundation Week on Thursday.

The National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) toll income could rise up to ₹1.34 trillion in five years, using GPS technology. “Yesterday there was a presentation in presence of secretary, road transport and highways and chairman, NHAI, by using GPS technology for toll collection we are expecting that our toll income in next five years will be ₹1,34,000 crore," the minister said, adding he expects toll collections to touch ₹34,000 crore this fiscal.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/news/india/i...203743161.html

[warrioraks]

They are opening a Pandora’s box here. Something similar to Aarogya Setu app where it became a Technology vs Privacy battle.

Although in the case of vehicles, they are already equipped to do passive tracking through the Fastag mechanism. I would still expect a lot of furore when the government tries to implement it.

[Turbohead]

Sounds super juicy! Kudos to Gadkariji for moving in the right direction as far as efficiency is concerned.

However, I won't be surprised if random roads start becoming toll roads too. Currently, with Fastag, we really don't feel how much money is actually spent on tolls. You only get an SMS hours later.

Besides, there has been no action taken to ensure compliance by toll companies to maintain the roads properly. I wonder who we can go and fight with now if roads aren't maintained. A lot of people used to refuse paying toll if the roads were terrible.

Also, I wonder how our data will be used. Will it be sold to Russia as a means to pay for the technology? After all, Russia is good friends with China, whose goods our wonderful country was trying to ban here. Also it reeks of privacy invasion.

[Vishal.R]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

They are opening a Pandora’s box here. Something similar to Aarogya Setu app where it became a Technology vs Privacy battle.

Agree there will be concerns from some sections. Personally I don't have any issue as there are so many other ways to track. Ideally It should be optional. If someone still wants to use fast tag, should be able to use.

[Jeroen]

Obviously, everybody knows the Russians are the world leaders in toll booth free lanes and they can teach anybody a thing or two on how to securely empty a private persons bank account using GPS and a little black box mounted in your vehicle.

Seriously, this guy needs a reality check.

In my home country the Netherlands the implementation of GPS based road pricing was approved in 2007. It would take a tiny, hugely prosperous and well organised country as the Netherland up to 2011 for the first trial and till 2016 for a nationwide implementation. The nation in question being about 79 times smaller than India. (https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/coun...herlands/india)

However, for various reasons, technical and political, the project was declared controversial and put on hold and eventually scuppered all together.

There are dozens of nations that have similar systems up and running though. But I don’t think anybody got very far in two years time. Of course, none of them had Russian to help them out.

Actually, I would have thought that India would have been perfectly capable of developing all of this by herself over time. You have your own GPS system, the little boxes to go into your cars can easily be developed and produced in India.

Making the online payments automatically will require some thinking, but you have a pretty advanced banking presence too. In most countries there is also the small matter of making sure the appropriate legislation that needs to be in place to allow such system to operate, certify the operator, bank systems etc. I don’t want to offend anybody, but my experience with the expedience of India bureaucracy has left me a bit underwhelmed. Let’s hope it all fits within current rules and legislation.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in what is known as flexible road pricing. Currently we pay road tax, irrespective of usage, time of the day. There is a lot to be gained by having such a system in place.

One of the attractive features is it allows for flexible and different pricing. E.g. you can charge more during week days, rush hour etc. You could charge a e-vehicle less than a diesel for instance etc.

The Netherlands is stil looking into this. And of course we are a decade further along, with also more data from other nations that have implemented it. One of the interesting side affects of this system is economic growth, or rather the negative effect it can have. Most people don’t drive during rush hour because they like to, but because they have to. However, especially those below medium/average income are likely to become less mobile, if travelling by car, especially in rush hour during weekdays become expensive. Being less mobile had a direct impact on general welfare. Recent research is very critical on this aspect. but is has advantages as well, obviously.

From what I read in this article the amount of toll collected is expected to rise sharply. But somebody should check what kind of effect that has on your economy.

So, lets re-visit this thread in two years. I hope all my scepticism was wrong!

Jeroen

[OrangeCar]

So.. the minister sat through a presentation, and comes out saying in 2 years no more toll booths (also claiming increase in toll collected!). Was there even a pilot run done to evaluate feasibility?

It only increases my confidence that this is a non starter!

And.. if in two years this does not happen, will the minister be held accountable? Or at least the folks who gave the presentation? Or at least the dude who served tea during the presentation? Oh wait.. I should not be raising such questions I guess.

Meh.. this news bit is too boring. I’ll go back paying 12-14/- rupees road development cess on fuel (along with other taxes), plus stand in long queues on broken highways and pay high tolls.. this sounds more fun.

[anb]

What is need of the toll when we pay Rs.18 as road infrastructure cess for a litre of petrol and diesel ? Where is this money going ?

[Cessna182]

The idea is good but it will be difficult to implement. The forseaable outcome would be that there would need to be a couple of attendants to address tech issues. So it is back to square one without any additional benefits.

Also, these toll plazas are a source of safety on many highways because ambulance, police etc are there and toilets are available. I won't feel safe on highways where there's no traditional toll plaza.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in what is known as flexible road pricing. Currently we pay road tax, irrespective of usage, time of the day. There is a lot to be gained by having such a system in place.

One of the attractive features is it allows for flexible and different pricing. E.g. you can charge more during week days, rush hour etc. You could charge a e-vehicle less than a diesel for instance etc.

Oh no no no. This is definitely not coming here. Roadtax will never go away in favour of any system. Since Fast tag is done and dusted, a new buzzword was needed.

From what I read in this article the amount of toll collected is expected to rise sharply. But somebody should check what kind of effect that has on your economy.

Increased revenue is all that matters. Everything else is just a byproduct for the masses. Good or bad, we need to deal with it.

[Sen]

My hypothesis is that this coupled with cameras in every single nook and cranny you look in these days is more of an elaborate attempt at proper surveillance since you don't even see the fasttag sensors as easily (and what with them being mandatory in every single car and all) . Fasttag is convenient for sure, agreed, but the privacy factor is again hitting rock bottom. There's almost zero accountability from the government with schemes like this, Aadhar, Aarogya Setu, when our data leaks, it's only us to blame and profit off of.

Not sure if I'm liking the direction our government is heading in, but this is all just my two cents and tin-foil-hattery.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

So.. the minister sat through a presentation, and comes out saying in 2 years no more toll booths (also claiming increase in toll collected!). Was there even a pilot run done to evaluate feasibility? .......

Originally Posted by Cessna182

.......
Also, these toll plazas are a source of safety on many highways because ambulance, police etc are there and toilets are available. I won't feel safe on highways where there's no traditional toll plaza.

I think the article says that there will no barriers in toll plazas. It does not say no toll plazas.
Just wanted to clarify, even though I too am sceptical about the success of this idea. For example, what if people don't maintain minimum balance in bank account? Or close the account linked to the gps system? Presently, we have Bangalore traffic police going door to door to collect traffic fines precisely because people just don't bother to pay on the spot or online.

[saikarthik]

Even if the intention is good, the implementation is well executed and will be difficult as we have seen in many other recent policy enforcements.

We already pay road tax, Infra CESS and then toll. I will be happy to see the whole practice of toll collection & road tax goes away and replaced with some one India one road tax. Though central government pushed common road tax policy, the states are in no mood to implement it.

Good thing about this at least is no boom barriers falling on cars.

[jkrishnakj]

I really don't understand why do we even need tolls in India ?

a) Road taxes when you buy the car
b) The tax components while buying fuel is a higher % than the cost of fuel itself
c) The wait times at booths mean the quantum of fuel wasted by each vehicle is very high
d) Commute times going up in highways due to the Toll booths
e) Thanks to the waiting times and the toll amounts, the trucks spend more time on roads and the logistics cost are higher with the logistics guys including toll costs. Removing all barriers will help goods reach faster and having no tolls means logistics may get a bit cheaper

Honestly, the transport ministry may be better off focussing on increasing the current highways capacity and trying to come with a creative model of not collecting tolls at all.

More a rant than anything else !

[moralfibre]

Fastag was conceptualised and introduced in 2014. It has been 6 years since without a 100% implementation. Being ambitious is good. Thought experiments with POC, execution and general Red tape bureaucratic delays will give them a reality check.

I doubt any of this will even materialise in 10 years let alone 2. I'd be happy if they atleast fix the Fastag issues and ensure 100% compliance. GPS can wait backstage.

[landcruiser123]

Seems like a profit making exercise for some tycoon in the private sector. GoI should focus on improving existing Fastag and traffic flow problems will be more or less solved. The bureaucrat's seems to be proposing an overly complicated solution to a simple toll collection problem which has been solved for decades in the USA and EU.

I don't think India is reached a position to start usage based congestion charges.