Expressway to have gantry-based tolling

By the end of 2017, Motorists will soon be able to zip through expressways, as the government is planning to install advanced gantry-based tolling systems which will do away with the need for toll booths. A fee will be deducted from a motorist’s prepaid account when the vehicle crosses an electronic beam stretching across the road. The move will help cut road congestion and travel time. There will, however, be a separate lane for those wanting to pay toll in cash or through e-wallets.

The radio frequency identification (RFID) cards being issued by banks for automatic tolling will work at the gantry-based tolling systems too. The eastern expressway on the Delhi border will be the first highway to have gantrybased tolling along with an advanced highway traffic management system. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to provide Rs 500Cr assistance for the project. Along with the advanced tolling system, the 135-km eastern corridor will have a variable message display system (VMS) and live signage to guide drivers about road and traffic conditions. The Road Ministry has decided to have such tolling system at all its national highway.