Delhi toll booths are set to move towards barrier-free collection as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi begins installing a Multi-Lane Free Flow system at 20 locations, a move aimed at reducing queues caused by commercial vehicles stopping to pay toll and environmental compensation charges.
The first phase includes 12 toll points located on national highways and eight other locations, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR. The system is being installed at the Ghazipur and Badarpur borders, two important entry points for vehicles travelling between Delhi and surrounding National Capital Region cities. It is expected to become operational from next month.
Under the new arrangement, commercial vehicles will not need to stop at a toll booth for payment. Instead, the system will identify vehicles and deduct the applicable charges electronically as they pass through the toll point. The MCD plans to gradually extend the system to all 156 toll points under its jurisdiction.
The system will use RFID tags issued or recognised by the municipal corporation. Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and radar equipment are also being installed to identify commercial vehicles and process the toll tax and Environmental Compensation Charge. According to the report, the equipment will be capable of recognising the RFID tag and deducting the applicable amount when vehicles are travelling at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
At present, commercial vehicles have to stop at toll points to complete payment. The time required for this process contributes to queues at Delhi’s borders, particularly where traffic from NCR cities converges with entry routes into the capital. Removing the payment stop is intended to allow vehicles to pass through without interruption, although the report does not provide an estimate of the expected reduction in waiting time or congestion.
The change also shifts toll collection from a booth-based process to a technology-dependent enforcement system. RFID identification, number-plate recognition and radar will have to work together to match vehicles with their payment obligations. The system will therefore be responsible not only for collecting charges but also for identifying vehicles that may not have a functioning tag or an adequate payment arrangement.
Sumit Kumar, MCD Deputy Commissioner (Toll), said the corporation was installing the Multi-Lane Free Flow system at 20 toll points in the first phase and would gradually introduce it at all toll locations. The report does not specify the total project cost, the technology provider, the detailed enforcement process or the timeline for full coverage across the 156 toll points.
