NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road Transport has approved the use of satellite-based toll collection on highways through the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), marking a significant shift in tolling technology. The government aims to implement the system on 2,000 km of the National Highway (NH) network by April 2025, starting with commercial vehicles that are already equipped with vehicle tracking systems.
Under the new tolling framework, dedicated lanes will be set up for vehicles fitted with GNSS on-board units (OBUs), allowing uninterrupted travel. Vehicles without valid GNSS devices that enter these lanes will face a penalty of double the toll fee, similar to the rules introduced during the FASTag roll-out.
The updated National Highways Fee Rules also offer a daily exemption for vehicles using up to 20 km on the same section of highway, intended to ease travel for local residents. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to integrate GNSS-based tolling into the existing FASTag system, using a hybrid model that will support both RFID and GNSS tolling simultaneously.
Initial implementation will see dedicated ‘GNSS lanes’ at toll plazas, where the barriers will remain open for vehicles equipped with GNSS devices. The toll will be automatically deducted from the FASTag wallet as the vehicle passes through.
Several Indian and international tech firms, including TCS, Infosys, Accenture, and RailTel, have shown interest in developing the system for the NH network’s satellite-based tolling infrastructure.
