The Indian government has proposed changes to the country’s toll collection system in a bid to enhance the convenience and cost-effectiveness of travelling on highways.
According to media reports, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is proposing an annual pass system that would allow unlimited travel on national highways for a single payment of INR 3,000. This program is one of a series of plans to streamline road travel, making it less expensive, more efficient and digitally integrated.
The proposal involves private vehicle owners purchasing an annual pass by paying INR 3,000 for unlimited travel without recurring toll deductions. The initiative seeks to replace the current pay-per-journey toll system, reduce traffic congestion at toll booths and promote seamless digital payments. A distance-based pricing alternative is also being considered. By leveraging Global Positioning System (GPS) and automated tracking, the policy aims to offer a hassle-free travel experience while ensuring efficient revenue collection and compensation for toll operators.
According to the proposal, vehicle owners can consider two payment options depending on their convenience. The two-pricing model is in line with the government's vision to construct a scalable tolling solution that serves a wide range of users.
Under this scheme, car owners will pay INR 3,000 once for the unrestricted use of all national highways, expressways and state expressways for a whole year. This fixed-fee system is meant to eliminate the hassle of reloading FASTag accounts and monitoring individual toll deductions each time a trip is taken.
By providing unrestricted use of highways for the entire year, the new system particularly favours frequent users, including commuters and transportation providers. The flat rate system also fits with the government's vision of digital governance by simplifying payments and mitigating dependence on transaction-based tolling.
While the annual pass system targets heavy users, the new policy does not neglect the less frequent users of highways. For them, a flexible pay-as-you-go model has been suggested, costing INR 50 for every 100 km.
This ensures that periodic users are not asked to pay a uniform annual fee that could be much more than their actual toll usage. Rather, they can pay proportionately to the distance covered, making the system fairer.
No new documentation required: Vehicle owners already using FASTags won’t need to provide additional documents or update their accounts to adopt the new annual pass system.
Smooth user experience: The integration ensures continuity for millions of existing FASTag users, preventing confusion or disruptions common in significant policy shifts.
Cancellation of lifetime FASTag plan: The earlier proposal of an INR 30,000 lifetime FASTag valid for 15 years has been scrapped, signalling a shift towards more flexible and user-friendly tolling models.
Compatibility with existing infrastructure: The new system is designed to work seamlessly with current FASTag technology and accounts, making adoption easier and more efficient.
Officials claim that the new passes will ditch the need for any hardware or paperwork, shifting the focus entirely on the existing FASTag ecosystem. With this, road trips may become more convenient, and could help unclog bottlenecks at toll booths. Those who take road trips often can even opt for annual passes, making every journey more economical.
One of the new policy's intentions is to eliminate physical toll barriers at highway booths. The government intends to phase out booms and legacy sensor-based systems to adopt a totally barrier-free tolling regime. This innovation seeks to eliminate the bottlenecks introduced by physical toll collection, which lead to frequent congestion, vehicle idling and fuel waste.
The implementation of barrier-free tolling technologies—presumably using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), satellite-based location or GPS-enabled technology—would enable cars to drive through toll zones at regular speeds without stopping.
To date, the government has not issued an official statement on the specifics of the proposed tolling system. Though reports indicate planning to be well advanced, no official policy announcement has been made.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)