CHENNAI: In the wake of complaints about long waiting time at toll plazas, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to monitor four plazas, including Vanagaram and Surapattu plazas on the Chennai Bypass, using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based software for real-time tracking. The other two plazas are located at Krishnagiri on the Hosur-Krishnagiri NH and Vaniyambadi on the Krishnagiri-Walajapet section.
The initiative is part of NHAI’s plan to monitor around 100 toll plazas that experience heavy traffic congestion during peak hours, weekends, holidays, and festive seasons. The software was developed by the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a firm promoted by NHAI.
Meanwhile, the NHAI clarified there is no prescribed time limit for vehicles to pass through toll plazas. Guidelines introduced in May 2021, which specified a 10-second waiting time for vehicles, were withdrawn in September this year. Additionally, the rule that allowed vehicles to pass without charge if the queue length exceeded 100 metres in any lane has also been reversed, said NHAI in a reply given to TNIE through RTI.
An NHAI official told TNIE that vehicle movement at the toll plazas will be monitored through a web-based platform, allowing officials across the country to access the data. “Based on congestion levels, alerts with necessary instructions, including lane distribution recommendations, will be sent to the respective toll managers,” the official said.
The software will share details related to the live status of queue length in metres, total waiting time, and vehicle speed at the toll plaza. “The software will also provide comparative traffic condition analysis on an hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly basis for the traffic queue and congestion,” explained the official.
Additionally, the software will update current weather conditions and information about festivals, enabling NHAI officials to take pre-emptive measures to manage the traffic load and decongest the toll plazas.
According to official data, during 2023-24, toll collection at the Krishnagiri plaza reached Rs 257.31 crore, while Vaniyambadi recorded a collection of Rs 117.11 crore. The Vanagaram and Surapattu plazas collected Rs 72.99 crore and Rs 100.1 crore, respectively last year. The Chennai bypass carries around 50,000 passenger cars daily.