Ending toll; satellite-based system to come up: Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that the ministry is ending tolls and a new satellite-based toll collection system, under which, the toll amount will be charged according to the distance covered, and the money will be deducted directly from the user’s bank account will be introduced soon.

“Now we are ending toll and a satellite-based toll system will be in place soon. Money will be deducted from your bank account and the amount of road you cover will be charged accordingly,” Gadkari was quoted as saying by a news agency.

The system will help reduce toll tax and make the journey smoother. “Through this, time and money can be saved,” he added.

The minister, however, did not clarify when the new system would be introduced.

On Tuesday, DT Next had carried Tamil Nadu truckers’ concern over the proposed GPS-based toll collection system. “If the proposal mooted by the Union Road Transport and Highways goes through, it could result in motorists paying even more as toll charge than before,” C Dhanaraj, president of the State Lorry Owners Federation (SLOF) had claimed adding: “At present, if a vehicle crosses the toll plaza, it would be charged the user fee. But, in the GPS-based system, entering a toll road itself would lead to the payment of a user fee.”