New Delhi

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday that the existing toll collection mechanism on national highways will be phased out within the next year, paving the way for a fully electronic and barrier-less system across India.

Speaking during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said that the new technology-driven tolling mechanism has already been introduced at ten locations and will be gradually scaled up across the country.

“This toll system will end. No one will stop you for toll anymore. Within a year, an electronic toll collection system will be implemented nationwide,” the minister told the House.

Gadkari also informed Parliament that nearly 4,500 highway projects worth ₹10 lakh crore are currently under construction across the country.

READ MORE: When neighbours saved my family and firmed my faith in inclusive India

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently stated that it has designed the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme, an integrated and interoperable platform for digital toll payments on Indian highways. The system is powered by FASTag, an RFID-based sticker attached to a vehicle’s windscreen that enables toll deductions directly from a linked account without requiring the vehicle to halt at a plaza.