New Delhi:

Motorists using private vehicles with a functional global navigation satellite system (GNSS) will be allowed to travel toll-free on highways and expressways up to 20 kilometres daily with effect from Tuesday, according to a government notification.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, which has come to effect from Tuesday.

Under the new regulations, known as the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, fees will now be charged on the actual distance travelled if the distance exceeds 20 kilometres.

“A driver, owner or person in charge of a mechanical vehicle other than a National Permit vehicle who makes use of the same section of the national highway, permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel, as the case may be, shall be levied a zero user fee up to 20 kilometres of a journey in each direction in a day under Global Navigation Satellite System based user fee collection system,” the notification said.

The highway ministry in July had said it decided to initially implement a GNSS-based toll collection system at select national highways on a pilot basis as an added facility along with FASTag.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that a pilot study with regard to a GNSS-based user fee collection system has been done on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in Karnataka and Panipat-Hisar section of NH-709 in Haryana.

Mr Gadkari had said a stakeholder consultation through an international workshop was organised on June 25, 2024, and global expression of interest (EOI) was invited for wider industrial consultation on June 7, 2024, with the last date of submission as July 22, 2024.

NHAI plans to implement the GNSS-based electronic toll collection (ETC) system within the existing FASTag ecosystem, initially using a hybrid model wherein both RFID-based ETC and GNSS-based ETC will operate simultaneously.

Implementation of GNSS-based electronic toll collection in India will facilitate smooth movement of vehicles along the National Highways and is envisaged to provide several benefits to highway users such as barrier-less free-flow tolling leading to hassle-free riding experience and distance-based tolling where users will pay only for the stretch they have travelled on a national highway, the ministry said.

The GNSS-based collection will also result in more efficient toll collection as it helps to plug leakages and check toll evaders, it added.

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to introduce a revolutionary technology for road maintenance in the country. According to DD News, This technology will enable a road to ‘repair’ itself using a new type of asphalt. This material will be infused with steel fibre and bitumen. If a gap emerges on the road, the bitumen will spread to cover it and along with steel threads, fill the potholes. NHAI official say it will fix the persistent problem of potholes, a major contributor to road accidents and fatalities in the country.

It is, however, not known how long the asphalt will take to cover and ‘repair’ a pothole or gap in the road.

“We are considering ingenious and unconventional methods to improve durability and to address the issue of potholes,” the Economic Times quoted a senior government official as saying.

However, the government will undertake cost-benefit analysis of the project before giving a go-ahead. NHAI is confident that the new technology will increase the lifespan of roads and minimise traffic disruption caused by potholes.

Asphalt is a sustainable paving material used for constructing pavements and highways, along with airport runways, parking lots and driveways. Asphalt ultimately speeds construction, is environmentally friendly, and provides a smooth and quiet ride.

It is made by a mixture of aggregates, binder and filler. Aggregates are mixed with bitumen to create a durable and reliable mixture. Specialised trucks or transporters deliver the hot asphalt mixture to the desired location, where it is spread and compacted using heavy machinery.

But over long period of time, bitumen deteriorates, leading to erosion of the asphalt and the formation of cracks, which eventually evolve into hazardous potholes. The new technology aims to tackle this degradation.

NHAI is a government agency responsible for construction and management of road network of national highways in India.