The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recovered approximately Rs 30 lakh [1] from drivers after implementing barrierless tolling on NH-48 in Gujarat.
This shift toward Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) technology aims to eliminate physical bottlenecks at toll plazas. By removing barriers, the agency intends to reduce congestion while using electronic monitoring to curb toll evasion and improve driver discipline [2].
An NHAI spokesperson said the system has already prompted a significant number of road users to settle their outstanding payments. The spokesperson said that half of the users who received e-notices after the first Multi-Lane Free Flow have cleared their dues [1]. This payment rate resulted in the recovery of about Rs 30 lakh [1].
The system operates by issuing electronic violation notices to vehicles that pass through the plazas without valid payment. Since the transition to barrierless tolling, there has been a reported decrease in the overall number of e-notices being issued at the plazas [2]. This trend suggests that the visibility of the electronic enforcement system is encouraging more drivers to comply with toll requirements before they are flagged.
The implementation on NH-48 serves as a test for the broader rollout of MLFF across the national highway network. By replacing traditional stop-and-go barriers with high-speed electronic scanning, the NHAI seeks to modernize the transit experience. The current data from Gujarat indicates that the combination of free-flow movement and digital penalties can effectively recover lost revenue [1].
Officials said that the drop in e-notices reflects a shift in road user behavior. The agency believes that as more drivers become familiar with the automated system, the rate of intentional toll evasion will continue to decline [2].
“Half of the users who received e-notices... have cleared their dues”
The transition to barrierless tolling represents a strategic move by India to balance infrastructure efficiency with revenue protection. By replacing physical barriers with digital enforcement, the NHAI is shifting the burden of compliance from the toll booth to the driver's digital record. The initial success in Gujarat suggests that electronic notices are an effective deterrent, potentially providing a scalable model for reducing highway congestion across the country without sacrificing toll collections.
