GOI to rollout e-toll collection for National Highways

NEW DELHI, INDIA: While delivering the keynote address at a discussion organised on" India's Highways-Next Gen Tolling and Corridor Management", Dr. CP Joshi, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways declared that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will rollout Electronic Toll Collection ( ETC) across all the toll plazas on National Highways in the entire country by March 31, 2014.

ETC is a system enabling collection of toll payments electronically allowing for near-nonstop toll collection and traffic monitoring.

ETC utilizes vehicles equipped with transponders (electronic tags),wireless communication, in-road/roadside sensors and a computerized system (hardware and software) for uniquely identifying each vehicle ,electronically collect toll, providing general vehicle/traffic monitoring and data collection, as per a press release by the Press Information Bureau.

Dr. Joshi said, "The mission of Government of India has been to make quality highway network across the country and make the system transparent and responsive. In our bid to do so / I am glad to share that by the end of this financial year we would complete construction of nearly 3000 kilometers of National highways, / which is a record till date. Along with constructing highways we are also re working our systems to sync with times. To make the system transparent / we first introduced e-tendering, / followed it with pilot project to Electronically collect Toll."

The pilot project on ETC was conducted last year in April at Parwanoo on NH-5. "The pilot is being carried successfully and concessionaires have been requested to work out necessary modalities with the ETC solution providers / and Banks for setting up of Central Clearing House (CCH)," said the Minister.

Among the other stretches that have been selected for the ETC implantation include Mumbai - Ahmedabad, Chennai- Bangalore and Gurgaon - Jaipur - Beawar. For the implementation of nationwide electronic toll collection, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has constituted Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) with equity partnership from NHAI (50 percent), Concessionaries (25 percent) and institutions (25 percent).

"Government of India is also amending the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 for fitment of RFID tag on vehicles by the automobile manufacturers," added Dr. Joshi.