Delhi’s planned free-flow toll system has missed its October 31 operational deadline, leaving queues at major entry points as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s control systems remain incomplete. The multi-lane system was intended to automate toll deductions at 20 prominent plazas that handle about 85% of traffic passing through Delhi.
The system is designed to charge vehicles while they are moving, using Radio Frequency Identification tags and Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. Vehicles with RFID tags would be identified and charged as they pass beneath overhead gantries, removing the need to stop at toll barriers.
However, the civic body has so far installed the overhead gantries and cameras, while the control systems needed to operate the equipment are yet to be put in place, according to the report by Times of India. The delay means the planned reduction in queues, particularly during periods when pollution-related traffic restrictions are imposed, will not take effect immediately.
At the Ghazipur toll plaza, commuters continued to face long queues on Monday, with staff checking commercial vehicles for toll payment through RFID tags. Traffic police personnel were also deployed at the border to enforce restrictions, including the rule barring BS-IV vehicles not registered in Delhi from entering the city.
During the newspaper’s visit, equipment for the multi-lane free-flow system had not been unpacked and was lying near the RFID tag issuing office. Toll plaza staff said congestion was mainly linked to traffic police checks and claimed that toll collection was operating more efficiently than on previous days. The report said queues remained visible in the afternoon at both the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Ghazipur toll plazas.
An MCD official said rain over two consecutive days had affected installation work and that the agency responsible for the project was continuing with the deployment. The official also said MCD received clearance from the National Highways Authority of India in mid-September, affecting the overall timeline.
“We are confident of putting the new system in place at some toll points by the weekend, following which trial runs will be conducted to assess its efficiency,” the official said. MCD has also said that additional personnel were deployed at border points to support toll collection and manage traffic.
The planned arrangement includes RFID readers and antennas, high-definition ANPR cameras, surveillance cameras and infrared illumination units at each entry point. Two overhead gantries—one primary and one backup—are being installed in each direction, around 200 metres before the existing toll plazas.
The system is intended to operate in a manner similar to FASTag-based toll collection on national highways, but officials told Times of India that previous attempts to integrate MCD toll charges with NHAI’s FASTag system had not materialised. Trial runs at some toll points are now expected after the remaining control equipment is installed.
