The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to launch the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). For this purpose, a notification of amendment to the National Road Charges Rules, 2008 has been issued. According to this, tolls will soon be collected via GPS across the country.
With the introduction of the GNSS system, the process of paying and collecting tolls will become much easier for both drivers and the government. Now, to pay the toll, drivers will no longer need to stop their vehicle at the toll booth and pay via Fastag or manually.
so today news of need I’m going to talk about what GNSS is? You will also learn that-
How will this system work? What will be the benefits for drivers?
Expert: Tutu Dhawan, automobile expert (New Delhi)
Question: What is GNSS?
answer- GNSS is a satellite-based unit that will be installed in vehicles. Until now, toll taxes were paid manually or via Fastag at toll booths. For this reason, drivers often have to wait for their turn in long queues at the toll booth, but with the introduction of the GNSS system, drivers no longer need to stop at the toll booth. Your toll tax will be automatically deducted from the satellite. This will save drivers time. Now, a separate dedicated GNSS lane will be created at the toll plaza.
Question: How does the GNSS toll system work?
answer- To implement the GNSS system, vehicles will be equipped with an on-board unit (OBU) or a tracking device. Like Fastag, the OBU will also be available on the government portal. With this, the tax will be collected based on the distance traveled by the vehicle daily. The special thing is that for owners of private cars equipped with GNSS, traveling up to 20 kilometers on the national highway or expressway every day will be exempt from tax. No toll tax will be collected from them in this regard. Toll counting will start from the 21st kilometer. Payment under the GNSS system will be made just like the existing Fastag, which will be directly linked to your bank account.
Understand how the GNSS system works from the graph below.
Question: What is the difference between Fastag and GNSS?
answer- Both Fastag and GNSS systems are intended to help pay toll taxes, but there are a few key differences. Understand this from the graph below.
Question: Has the GNSS system been implemented throughout the country?
answer- The GNSS system was tested as a pilot project on the Bengaluru-Mysore stretch of National Highway 275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar stretch of National Highway 709 in Haryana. Apart from this, there is no dedicated GNSS pathway in the country. Once all vehicles are equipped with GNSS units and all lanes are equipped with GNSS, all toll booths will be removed from the roads.
Question: Will Fastag end now?
answer- No, for the moment the work of collecting tolls via Fastag and cash will continue in hybrid mode. Initially, dedicated GNSS lanes will be built at the toll level. So that vehicles equipped with the GNSS system can pass without stopping. Gradually, more tracks will be built under this system.
Question: Are there any disadvantages to the GNSS toll system?
answer- Automotive expert Tutu Dhawan explains that the GNSS system is entirely satellite-based. Therefore, some problems can be seen in this regard. Such as-
In this case, there may be a signal problem if the vehicle is in the tunnel. In case of bad weather due to rain or fog, there may be a network problem that will track the movement of the vehicle, due to which drivers may face. confidentiality issues.
Question: What impact can GNSS tolling have on revenue?
answer- Currently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) collects toll revenue of around Rs 40,000 crore annually. This figure is expected to reach 1.4 trillion in the next two to three years after the full implementation of GNSS.
NHAI aims to integrate this system with the existing Fastag setup using a hybrid model. Where radio frequency identification and global navigation satellite system will be implemented. There will be GNSS lanes at toll plazas to allow GNSS-equipped vehicles to pass without stopping.