Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has informed Lok Sabha that the government will remove toll plaza booths across the country within a year. He also said that a complete GPS-based toll collection will be implemented to replace toll plazas.

While speaking in Lok Sabha on ‘Vehicle Scrapping Policy’, Nitin Gadkari said, “I want to assure the House that within one year all physical toll booths in the country will be removed. It means that toll collection will happen via GPS. The money will be collected based on GPS imaging (on vehicles).”

Gadkari asserted 93 per cent of the vehicles pay toll using FASTag, while the remaining 7 per cent have still not taken it despite paying a double toll. Gadkari has instructed police inquiry for those vehicles which do not pay toll using FASTags. There are cases of toll theft and GST evasion cases if FASTags are not fitted in vehicles.

What is FASTags and why is it important?

Introduced in 2016, FASTags facilitate electronic payment of fee at toll plazas. From February 16, vehicles without FASTag are required to pay double toll fee at electronic toll plazas across the country.

Making the tags compulsory would also help in ensuring that vehicles pass seamlessly through the toll plazas, as the fee payment would be done electronically.

Gadkari said new vehicles have FasTags fitted in them, while the government has said it will give free FASTags for old vehicles.

With inputs from agencies