“Now, the plan is to remove toll plazas and put cameras, which will read these number plates and toll will be deducted from the account directly. We are also doing a pilot of this scheme,” Gadkari told the Indian Express.
Long queues and tired drivers are a normal site at any toll booth. A survey conducted by the Transport Corporation of India and IIM Calcutta showed that vehicle idling at toll plazas wastes approximately Rs 1 lakh crore, while traffic jams at toll plazas cost roughly Rs 40,000 annually. There is a loss in crores of rupees, or in all, the country loses 1 lakh 45 thousand crores as a result of toll nakas. The government is now currently working to replace FASTag with a new GPS-based toll tax collection system. In the coming six months, toll booths will be eliminated and the ANPR GPS system will begin operating in such circumstances to protect both your wallet and the nation’s economy.
What is ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Reader)
Built on the foundation of FASTag, this ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Reader) technology will read the vehicle’s license plate, and then the toll tax will be taken out of the account of the vehicle owner. The cameras placed at the entry and exit points will be a determining factor in this system. These cameras will take a picture of the license plate and subtract toll fees by using the vehicle identification number. A better alternative to Fastag may be this new ANPR system. This GPS based toll system is already being tested on Indian highways and will allow drivers to pay a toll according to the distance covered on the highway.
How does ANPR work?
The ANPR reads the license plate of the vehicle and subsequently debits the owner of the vehicle’s connected bank account to pay the toll. At the entry and exit locations, ANPR cameras will be installed by the system to photograph passing vehicles’ license plates. The associated bank account of the driver of the vehicle will be used by the ANPR camera to deduct the toll payment. The government has decided to install GPS tracking devices on the number plates and the toll plazas will get new softwares due to which the toll will be deducted from the account directly. On the other hand, an outdated license plate must be put in place of the previous one on older automobiles. The GPS unit will be fixed to the license plate in this. Additionally, a piece of software will be installed, which will cause the toll to be automatically reduced once you arrive at the toll plaza.
Is ANPR Better than FASTag?
- According to the government, ANPR may be more effective than FASTag at easing traffic on Indian roadways.
- ANPR has a camera-aided toll collection system which debits the toll directly from the bank hence reducing long queues.
- The ANPR technology would allow governments to collect tolls from vehicles by the kilometer instead of a flat rate unlike FASTag.
The government is also considering using satellite-based GPS technology for automatic toll collection, but no formal decision has yet been made. The government plans to take a decision within the next six months and pass the relevant legislation relating to the changes. Whatever technology you choose, the future of federal highways is toll-free.
