Motorists to gain from new automated toll collection being planned

New Delhi: The Central Government is likely to amend the Motor Vehicles Act in order to revise the existing toll collection process in the country.

The government may bring in either a GPS-based system or an automated number plate method for toll collection.

The advantage for both the systems is that the vehicle passengers have to shell out money in the name of toll only for the distance which they have covered.

The amount will be deducted from the bank account of each person.

Union Minister of Surface Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told Rajya Sabha the other day that the Centre was planning to move the amendment in the House within six months.

The GPS-based toll collection was announced by the Union Minister last year.

NavIC GPS
India's indigenously built NavIC GPS is also under consideration for being employed for the new GPS-GPRS-based toll-collection drive.

(NavIC is the operational name of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, which is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system that provides accurate real-time positioning and timing services.)

One toll in 60 km?
The Minister had told Parliament during the last sessions that the Centre would stick to the policy of maintaining only one toll in the 60 km radius. But Gadkari backtracked on this by informing Rajya Sabha this time that changes can be made to this policy taking into account the circumstances existing in each place.

The Centre is also positively considering suggestions from various quarters on exempting those who live in the vicinity of toll plazas in city areas from the burden of paying the toll amount.

250 electric buses allotted to Kerala
Nitin Gadkari told Lok Sabha that the Centre had allotted 250 electric buses to Kerala as part of the FAME-II scheme being implemented to popularise electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. He was replying to a question raised by NK Premachandran, MP. (FAME denotes Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles scheme.)

The cities of Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have been allotted 100 buses each and Kozhikode city 50 buses as part of the scheme.

He further clarified that these buses were not yet handed over to Kerala since the KSRTC did not take necessary follow-up action in this regard.