Overview
- National Highways Authority of India activated the Multi-Lane Free Flow system on Friday at the Choryasi plaza on NH-48 near Surat, logging about 41,500 vehicles on day one.
- Overhead gantries use FASTag RFID readers and high-resolution number-plate cameras to charge vehicles at up to roughly 80 km/h without stops, which officials say will cut queues, travel time, fuel use and emissions.
- Drivers who pass without paying receive an e-notice with trip details and have 72 hours to settle the normal fee before charges double, with persistent non-payment risking FASTag blacklisting and VAHAN-linked service restrictions.
- Trials are underway at Delhi’s Mundka plaza with a mid-May go-live expected, IHMCL has awarded contracts for 17 sites and invited bids for 108 more, and officials cite a goal to cover four-lane-and-above highways by 2029.
- Choryasi was built under an operating-expense model by ICICI Bank for IHMCL, and recent directives to banks to verify vehicle registration numbers aim to tighten data accuracy as barrier-free tolling scales.