The road ministry has created a master plan for national highways to improve logistics, including provisions for motorways and high-speed highways, under the PM Gatishakti Framework. This plan was created using a transportation model that analyzed data from e-way bills (GST), tolls, and traffic surveys, according to a recent announcement made by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. What you need to know about the NH 60 km toll regulation, the recently announced GNSS toll system, and other topics is all here.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS):
In addition, Gadkari announced that the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based toll collection system would be implemented on a few national highways in India. This will essentially mean the end of the country's traditional toll collection methods, which were in place to modernize the tolling process and do away with physical toll booths to increase toll collection efficiency. This represents a major change in the country's transportation infrastructure.
With the help of GPS and GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), the GNSS-based tolling system uses satellite technology to expedite the toll collection process. It can precisely track a vehicle's location and compute tolls depending on the distance travelled on roadways.
NHAI 60 km rule:
In 2008, the NH 60 km regulation came into effect, requiring toll plazas on national roads to be spaced apart by at least 60 kilometres. In a similar vein, a video of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari promising that there would be no toll booths for 60 kilometres on national highways has lately made a reappearance online.
In the video, Gadkari announced that passes utilizing Aadhar cards would be given to residents and that toll tax would not be collected at toll plazas within 60 kilometres of one another. He also mentioned that this plan would be implemented within three months.
Despite this declaration, tolls have reportedly been collected at two plazas within 60 km on the Pathankot-Srinagar highway—against the Minister's guarantees.
What does a user fee entail?
The length of the road, any bridges or tunnels, the width of the highway, the relevant charge rules, and the conditions of the concession agreement all have an impact on the user fee at a given toll plaza, according to the MoRTH.
To protect the safety and convenience of road users, vehicles are categorized depending on their size, load, the damage they do to the road, and whether they are used for personal or commercial purposes.
More NHAI Rules:
1. Ten-second hold time:
The maximum amount of time a car can wait at a toll plaza is ten seconds, under NHAI regulation. Therefore, drivers are exempt from paying a toll if their wait time exceeds this cap. The goal of this project is to reduce delays and optimize traffic flow for everyone.
2. FASTag usage is required
All vehicles, private and commercial, are required by the NHAI to use FASTags to pay for tolls. This rule, which went into force in February 2021, highlights how crucial electronic toll collection is to improving productivity on national roadways.
3. One FASTag, one vehicle
Every car needs to have a single FASTag connected to its registration number. It is against the law and subject to penalties to use a single FAS tag for several cars.
4. Within a hundred meters, a line of cars
According to NHAI standards, vehicle lines at toll booths should not be longer than 100 meters to guarantee efficient traffic flow. At this distance, a yellow line will be painted to aid in efficient queue management. If a car is waiting past this point in the line, it can continue waiting without paying the toll until the line is down to the designated amount
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