CHENNAI: Vehicles heading towards Bengaluru on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway and towards Chengalpattu on GST Road will soon be spared from the long serpentine queues at toll plazas.
The existing toll booths will be dismantled, and toll collection will be carried out automatically through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras integrated with the FASTag system. These cameras will capture vehicle details even at speeds of 100-150kmph, enabling seamless and congestion-free travel.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to introduce the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) user fee collection system, which uses ANPR cameras integrated with the FASTag platform. The system will be implemented at Nemili (Sriperumbudur) and Chennasamudram toll plazas on the Chennai-Bengaluru NH and at the Paranur toll plaza on the Tambaram-Villupuram NH (GST Road). Official data indicates that both these highways carry nearly 75,000 passenger car units daily.
Under the new system, existing toll booths will be dismantled, and overhead ANPR cameras will automatically capture vehicle registration numbers and deduct the corresponding toll amount from linked FASTag accounts. This will enable vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping, effectively reducing waiting time to zero.
The Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) — an agency under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways responsible for implementing electronic toll collection for NHAI — will oversee the rollout of the MLFF system. The IHMCL recently floated tenders to appoint an operator responsible for designing, developing, operating and maintaining the system for a period of five years.
According to official sources, the six-lane main carriageway will remain fully open to traffic, allowing seamless toll deduction as vehicles pass. “The project involves installation of key infrastructure and requires rigorous inspections. The system will be put into multi-level verification before it becomes operational,” an official said.
As per official documents, the ANPR cameras will be capable of capturing vehicle number plates and video footage up to 40m away, with a five-second recording window. They will accurately identify registration numbers even at speeds of up to 150kmph. Adequate cameras will be installed to cover all lanes, including service lanes and earthen shoulders.
Additionally, RFID readers and supporting devices will be set up to identify vehicles at least 300m before they cross the toll point.
The selected contractor must complete installation within 14 months of receiving the work order. Separate rules will be notified later to recover toll amounts from vehicles for which automatic deductions fail.
