Toll collection via satellite to deduct money directly from bank account
In a recent announcement, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed plans to revolutionize India’s toll collection system. The proposed satellite toll collection system aims to speed up the process, replacing traditional toll plazas and offering convenience to passengers.
Under this new system, toll fees will be automatically deducted from passengers’ bank accounts based on the distance travelled. Gadkari emphasized that this move will not only save time but also reduce fuel consumption, contributing to environmental sustainability.
Responding to concerns over high toll taxes, Gadkari highlighted the significant time and fuel savings facilitated by modern highways. He illustrated this with the example of the Mumbai-Pune route, where travel time was drastically reduced from nine hours to just two hours, resulting in substantial fuel savings.
Looking ahead, Gadkari expressed ambitious goals for India’s road infrastructure, aiming to match the extensive highway network found in the United States by the end of 2024. He described ongoing projects such as Bharatmala-2, covering approximately 8,500 km , along with previous initiatives like Bharatmala -1, covering 34,000 km.
Despite these advances, Gadkari acknowledged the persistent challenge of road accidents during his tenure. He lamented the inability to contain accidents, attributing them to human behavior. However, he remained optimistic about promoting behavioral changes and raising awareness about road safety to mitigate such incidents in the future.
FASTag technology was quickly adopted across the country. It was faster than traditional toll collection, but it had its drawbacks. Some of the disadvantages of FASTag technology included situations where the passenger had no balance in their FASTag account, the sensors at some toll booths took time to read the FASTag and such situations led to long queues at toll booths.
The introduction of satellite toll collection will not require toll booths, but it will be a major challenge to integrate the technology into every vehicle across the country before this new system is implemented.
