No-stop toll plazas by March 2027? Nitin Gadkari sets deadline for barrier-free system
India's Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced a target for a barrier-free, digital tolling system by early 2027. The system will utilize AI and license plate recognition alongside the existing FASTag infrastructure to eliminate toll plaza wait times.
Why it matters
This represents a significant infrastructure modernization effort aimed at increasing economic efficiency and reducing transit delays across India's highway network.
By next year, your highway journeys could get a lot smoother, as India moves towards a barrier-free, fully digital tolling process.Expected to be rolled out by February-March 2027, the new system will allow motorists to pass through toll points without stopping to pay the fee, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. “With AI and free-flow tolling, India is moving from stopping at toll plazas to simply moving through them. The highway of tomorrow is intelligent, seamless and cashless.”The system will combine vehicle number-plate recognition with FASTag for toll collection. FASTag has already reduced waiting times at toll plazas by 80-90%.
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