The way of highway travel in the capital is now going to change. Long queues at toll plazas, waiting for barriers to open and crawling speed of vehicles are slowly going to end. Barrier-less Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll system was started for the first time in Delhi-NCR on Monday. With this, vehicles will be able to pass directly through the toll plaza without stopping and the toll amount will be deducted automatically.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated this state-of-the-art system at Mundka-Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on Urban Extension Road-2 (UER-2). Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, many MPs and senior officials of Delhi were present in the program. Also, Delhi has become the second city in the country, where this hi-tech barrier-free tolling system has been started. Earlier this technology was implemented on the Surat-Bharuch corridor in Gujarat. The new system does not have traditional toll booths and barriers. High-resolution cameras, sensors and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology installed over the road read the vehicle number plate and automatically deduct the toll amount from the account linked to FASTag. The entire process takes place in a few seconds and the vehicle does not need to stop.
According to officials, vehicles can cross the toll even at a speed of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour. According to NHAI, the biggest advantage of this technology will be that the long lines at toll plazas will almost end. This will save time for passengers, reduce fuel consumption and also reduce pollution caused by frequent stopping and moving of vehicles. NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said that currently 17 toll plazas are being developed across the country under this technology, which is targeted to be started by September 2026. Apart from this, more than 108 new toll plazas will be built in the second phase, where the MLFF system will be fully implemented. These include national highways of many states including Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana.
You may have to pay double the fee for payment after the stipulated period
In the new system, a special provision has also been made for those drivers whose toll is not deducted immediately due to some technical reason. If a vehicle crosses the toll without registering the payment, an e-notice will be sent to the mobile of the vehicle owner. After that he will get the opportunity to make payment through online mode within 72 hours. There will be no penalty for payment within the stipulated time, but if payment is made after the stipulated period, double the fee may be charged. NHAI has also prepared a system for dispute resolution. If there is wrong deduction or technical glitch in any vehicle, a separate grievance redressal mechanism will be available to resolve it. Officials say that the system has been designed in such a way that quick rectification can be done in case of wrong transaction. During the program, Gadkari indicated that in future this technology will not be limited to toll collection only. Violations of road safety rules like not wearing seat belts or using mobile phones while driving can also be recorded with the help of cameras.