The Indian government has decided to delay the rollout of a satellite-based toll collection system for highways. This system, once implemented, could eliminate the need for toll booths by charging vehicles based on the distance traveled. However, officials say the project is now on hold until India’s own navigation satellite system, NavIC, becomes fully operational. The goal is to ensure a more accurate and efficient toll collection system, reducing errors associated with GPS-based tracking.
Why the Satellite-Based Toll System Is Delayed
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has been exploring an automatic toll collection system that calculates charges based on the actual distance a vehicle travels on toll roads. This system would rely on a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to track vehicle movement.
Currently, the most commonly used GNSS is the American Global Positioning System (GPS). However, Indian officials believe that waiting for India’s own Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC, to be fully operational will provide better accuracy and reliability for toll collection.
Challenges with NavIC
NavIC currently has 11 satellites in orbit, but some of them have malfunctioned, making the system incomplete. Officials say that for accurate toll collection, a fully functional satellite network is essential. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is still working on strategies to make NavIC fully operational, especially after facing setbacks during the launch of the NVS-02 satellite on February 2, 2024.
How the Satellite-Based Toll System Works
Under this system, a small device called an On-Board Unit (OBU) would be installed in vehicles. This device records the start and end coordinates whenever a vehicle enters or exits a toll road. The data is then used to calculate the toll amount based on the distance traveled.
Countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and several European nations have already implemented similar satellite-based toll systems. India had planned to introduce this technology on a pilot basis, with the Dwarka Expressway in the National Capital Region (NCR) being the first test site.
Advantages of NavIC Over GPS for Toll Collection
Indian officials believe that NavIC offers better accuracy than GPS for toll collection in India. While GPS has an accuracy of around 30 meters, NavIC is expected to be accurate up to 3 meters. This higher accuracy will help in avoiding errors, such as mistakenly charging vehicles on service roads instead of the main highway.
Another advantage of NavIC is that it operates on dual frequencies (L5 and S bands), which makes it more suitable for equatorial regions like India.
Privacy and Security Concerns
Experts have pointed out that while a GNSS-based toll system can make toll collection seamless, it also raises privacy concerns. Tracking highway usage must balance data protection with accuracy in toll calculations. Ensuring that vehicle location data remains anonymous while maintaining reliable toll charges will be a key challenge.
How FASTag Has Improved Toll Collection
Currently, India uses FASTag, a system based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. According to official studies by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), FASTag has significantly reduced waiting times at toll plazas. The average waiting time dropped from 734 seconds to just 47 seconds in the financial year 2022-23.
With satellite-based toll collection, vehicles won’t need to stop at toll booths at all, making highway travel even smoother.
India’s plan to shift to a satellite-based toll collection system is currently on hold due to the incomplete deployment of NavIC satellites. While GPS is available, its accuracy is not ideal for toll calculation. NavIC, once fully operational, is expected to provide better accuracy and efficiency, ensuring fair toll charges and reducing errors.
In the meantime, India continues to rely on FASTag, which has already improved toll collection efficiency. Once NavIC is fully functional, a seamless, barrier-free tolling system could become a reality, enhancing travel experiences across the country.
