Goodbye to the old toll system: Nitin Gadkari Unveils GNSS: The Future of Toll Collection

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced a new satellite-based toll collection system on select national highways, replacing traditional toll methods. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Gadkari said a pilot study was conducted on NH-275 in Karnataka and NH-709 in Haryana. A stakeholder consultation took place via an international workshop on June 25, 2024. A global expression of interest (EOI) for wider industry consultation was invited on June 7, 2024, with a submission deadline of July 22, 2024.

The minister said the road ministry developed a master plan for national highways to improve logistics, including expressways and high-speed highways. This plan, under the PM Gatishakti Framework, used data from e-way bills, tolls, and traffic surveys.

Gadkari mentioned that 697 national highway projects started about a decade ago have exceeded their original timelines due to issues like land acquisition, clearances, utility shifting, encroachments, law and order problems, contractor issues, and events like COVID-19 and natural disasters. The ministry has projects in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and tender stages to boost construction in the current and next fiscal years.

Gadkari also noted that about ₹1.94 crore has been spent on two bills for rescue and relief operations at the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand. Some bills are unpaid, and the expenses are attributed to the engineering company, he added.