BENGALURU: The pilot study of a satellite-based toll collection system will soon commence on the Bengaluru-Mysuru national highway. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is set to do away with toll booths across the country and replace the existing Fastag-based toll collection.
A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told TNIE, “Of the two highways selected for the pilot study in India, the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in Karnataka is also one. Preparations are on for trials that are expected to start soon, anytime in August. Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, is looking into GNSS.”
The pilot will be taken up only on a particular stretch of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, the official said, clarifying that the existing Fastag-based toll collection will continue, adding that even after the full-fledged rollout, till the people shift to GNSS, there will be toll booths.
Explaining how the toll will be deducted under GNSS, the official said, “Geo-fencing of the highway will be done. Once a vehicle enters the highway, a software will detect its entry through the GPS device fitted in the vehicle. Once the vehicle exits the highway, it will calculate the distance travelled from the entry and exit and deduct the toll as how it’s done under the existing system.”
NHAI eyes options to collect toll through number plates
Along with the GNSS toll collection, which mandates a GPS device fitted into vehicles, NHAI is also exploring options to collect the toll through number plates. Under this, vehicles need not have a GPS device and the entry and exit will be calculated using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and based on the distance travelled, the toll will get deducted on the go without any toll booths.
All new vehicles are enabled with GPS-tracking devices. Old vehicles have to get such devices installed, which will give the exact vehicle’s location. Once the vehicle enters a highway, the software will record its entry and after it exits, it will calculate the distance travelled (from entry to exit) and deduct the toll.
Unlike the existing system, where vehicles are charged the full toll, even if they do not use the stretch fully, the GNSS system will calculate the exact distance travelled using satellite and deduct the toll accordingly.