India's Ministry of Road Transport & Highways clarifies that Satellite-based Tolling System will not be launched by replacing existing FASTag-based toll collection system from 1st May 2025
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has issued a clarification on the launch of satellite-based tolling system in India, as some sections of the media had recently made some misleading reports that it will replace existing FASTag-based toll collection system from 1st May 2025.
As per the clarification given today on 18 April 2025, by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, some sections of the media have reported that a Satellite-based Tolling System will be launched from 1st May 2025 and will replace the existing FASTag-based toll collection system.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has clarified that this is not true and no such decision has been taken either by them or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding the nationwide implementation of satellite-based tolling from 1st May 2025.
This clarification makes it clear that satellite-based tolling will not be implemented across India from 1st May 2025.
The MoRTH clarification further states that in order to enable seamless barrier-free movement of vehicles through toll plazas and to reduce travel time, a new ‘ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System’ will be implemented at selected toll plazas only.
That is, even this new ‘ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System’ will not be implemented at all the toll plazas across India now, but it will be implemented only at some selected toll plazas, in order to test its performance and efficiency. And it has been clarified that only after monitoring its efficiency, performance, and user feedback, it will be decided whether to implement this new system across India or not.
What is the ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-less Tolling System?
As the name itself suggests, it is a barrierless tolling system that uses both the ANPR and the FASTAg RFID technologies to deduct tolls without requiring vehicles to stop at the toll booths.
This advanced tolling system combines ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ (ANPR) technology and the existing FASTag technology. The ANPR technology will identify vehicles by reading their number plates and the existing ‘FASTag system’ that uses Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), for toll deduction.
That is, this new combined system will identify vehicles through high performance ANPR cameras and FASTag Readers. Wherever this new system is installed, the toll will be charged to your vechicle based on this new system, without needing to stop your vehicle at the toll plazas.
In cases of non-compliance, E-Notices will be sent to the violators, and non-payment of such fines may result in suspension of FASTag and other VAHAN related penalties.
NHAI has invited bids for the implementation of ‘ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System’ to be installed at selected toll plazas only. The decision of implementing this new system across India will be made based on its performance, efficiency, and user response to it.
What this new ANPR-FASTag-based Tolling System means to National Highway travellers?
If this new system works well without glitches, then it may lead to a better travel experience without having to stop the vehicle at the toll plaza barriers, wherever this is implemented, as this new system is supposed to read both the number plates as well as the FASTags of vehicles while they keep moving through the toll plazas and then automatically deduct the toll for that vehicle.
In case of non-compliance, that is, for example, if a vehicle passes through such a toll plaza while having insufficient balance in its FASTAg account, as there will be no barriers to stop it, this system will be designed to automatically send a penalty notification to such violating users through an E-Notice, and if such a penalty is not paid within the stipulated period, then it may lead to suspension of the user's FASTag or even lead to other penalities, as decided by the road transport authorities.
It is yet to be seen whether this new combined system will work out as expected, which is why it will be implemented only at selected toll plazas to test it out before deciding on whether or not to implement it across India.
The selected toll plazas where this new system will be implemeted at, has not yet been announced. As MoRTH's clarification states that NHAI has invited bids for the implementation of this new system at selected toll plazas, it means that it will take some time until the bidding process is completed and also for the new systems to be actually implemented at such selected toll plazas.
- Clarification on Launch of Satellite-based Tolling System from 1st May 2025 - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, PIB - Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. Posted On: 18 APR 2025 1:02PM by PIB Delhi.