Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the new toll collection system being tested is based on ‘automatic number plate reader camera’ technology. In this, the vehicle does not need to stop at the toll plaza to collect the fee. The cameras installed at the automated toll plaza will collect the toll by looking at the number plates.
Now toll will be collected through automatic system by identifying the number plates of the vehicles at the toll plaza. The central government has started its pilot test. The government believes that this will reduce the congestion of vehicles at the toll plaza and the more the vehicle runs on the highway, the same amount will be charged from it. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari gave this information at the 19th Indo-US Economic Summit of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) on Monday.
In his address, Gadkari said that the new toll collection system being tested is based on ‘Automatic Number Plate Reader Camera’ technology. In this, the vehicle does not need to stop at the toll plaza to collect the fee. The cameras installed at the automated toll plaza will collect the toll by looking at the number plates. Gadkari said that due to this, the traffic will continue to move without stopping or slowing down and the more the vehicle runs on the highway, the more it will be charged.
Said on India-America… We are natural allies
On Indo-US relations at the summit, Gadkari said that the two natural allies have been contributing to each other’s progress. It has also always shown mutual trust, respect and cooperation. He invited American investors to invest in India’s road construction projects, production of batteries for electric vehicles and development of services such as ropeways, cable cars, etc.
Highway for India – so important
In 2014, there were 91 thousand km of national highways in the country, today it is 1.47 lakh km. Target to reach 2 lakh km by 2025
70 percent of goods and product transport and 90 percent of passenger transport are carried out by roads today.
14% time saved in road travel and 2.5% reduction in transport cost.
110 crore liters of fuel will be saved, which means carbon emissions will also be reduced by 250 crore kg per year
Said three things on the toll plaza
1. Toll-waiting came from 8 minutes to 47 seconds in three years
In 2018-19, vehicles used to stop at the toll plaza for an average of 8 minutes. Fastags started in 2020, due to which the waiting time has come down to 47 seconds today. Still, many plazas are taking longer because they are close to cities or densely populated. That is why reforms are necessary.
2. By 2024, 15,000 km of intelligent highways will be built.
Advance Traffic Management System (ATMS) is being introduced to improve traffic. This will be applicable on all new and existing four-lane highways. By 2024, 15,000 km of national highways will be improved with Intelligent Traffic System (ITS), which will reduce road accidents.
3. Option to install Global Positioning System
Last month, Gadkari had told that the government also has the option of collecting toll by installing satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) in vehicles. This will automatically deduct money from the bank account of the vehicle owner. Now the second option has been told of number plates, which will replace FASTag. He said, which of these two to choose, the final decision is yet to be taken.
Highway… Union Road Transport Minister told new plans
Electric Highway: Where trucks and buses will be charged on the go
Electric Highway is an ambitious plan of the government. Heavy vehicles, trucks and buses plying on such highways get charging from over-head power cables. Due to this there will be no traffic jam, travel time will also be saved. It will be based on solar and wind energy, due to which the electric transport system will be developed, which is the target of the government.
27 Greenfield Expressway: Roads will be safe
The government is building 27 greenfield expressways of 10,000 km length. There will be an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore on these. All toll plazas will also run on solar energy. Due to this, accidents on the roads will stop, economic activities and employment will also get a boost. PM Gati Shakti will help in getting master plan clearance and getting these done faster.
Three crore plantation: 27 thousand trees transplanted
During the construction of the highway, 27,000 trees that came on the way were successfully transplanted and along with this, 3 crore saplings are being planted. The government is bringing a ‘tree bank’ policy, through which NHAI, NHIDCL, airport and port authorities, etc. will promote tree plantation instead of cut trees. The record of every cut and planted sapling will be maintained in the tree bank.
