The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to launch the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). For this a notification has been issued to amend the National Highway Fee Rules, 2008. According to this, soon toll tax will be collected through GPS across the country.
With the introduction of the GNSS system, the process of payment and collection of toll tax will become much easier for both the motorists and the government. Now, to pay the toll, drivers will not need to stop their vehicle at the toll plaza and pay through FASTag or manually.
So today'In 'Work News' We will talk about what is GNSS? You will also learn that-
- How will this system work?
- How will this benefit drivers?
Expert: Tutu Dhawan, Auto Expert (New Delhi)
Q- What is GNSS? Answer- GNSS is a satellite based unit, which will be installed in vehicles. Till now, toll tax is paid manually or through FASTag at toll booths. Due to which many times motorists have to stand in long queues at toll plazas and wait for their turn, but with the introduction of GNSS system, motorists do not need to stop at tolltax. Your toll tax will be automatically deducted from the satellite. Due to which the time of motorists will be saved. A separate dedicated GNSS lane will now be created in the toll plaza.
Q- How does the GNSS toll system work? Answer- To implement a GNSS system, an On-Board Unit (OBU) or tracking device will be installed in vehicles. Like Fasteg, OBU will also be available on the government portal. Also, the tax will be levied according to the distance covered by the vehicle every day. Notably, GNSS-equipped private car owners will be tax-free for daily travel of up to 20 kilometers on National Highways or Expressways. For this no toll tax will be charged from them. Toll calculation will start from 21st km. Payments 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 graphic below.
Q- What is the difference between Fasteg and GNSS? Answer- Both FASTAG and GNSS systems are meant to assist in toll tax collection, but there are some key differences. Understand this from the following graphic.
Q- Has the GNSS system been implemented across the country? Answer: The GNSS system was tested as a pilot project on the Bengaluru-Mysore section of National Highway 275 in Karnataka and the Panipat-Hisar section of National Highway 709 in Haryana. Besides, there are currently no dedicated lanes for GNSS anywhere in the country. Once all vehicles are fitted with GNSS units and all lanes are GNSS equipped, all toll booths will be removed from roads.
Question- Fasteg will end now? Answer- No, currently the collection of toll tax through FASTag and cash will continue in hybrid mode. Initially, a dedicated GNSS lane will be created in the toll plaza. So that vehicles with GNSS system can pass without stopping. Gradually more lanes will be built under this system.
Q- Are there any disadvantages of GNSS toll system? Answer- Auto expert Tutu Dhawan explains that the GNSS system is completely satellite based. So, there may be some problems with this. such as-
- This can cause signal problems if the car is in a tunnel.
- In case of bad weather due to rain or fog, network problem may occur.
- GNSS systems will track vehicle movements, which may cause privacy issues for drivers.
Q: What impact could GNSS tolls have on revenue? Answer- At present the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) annually spends around Rs. 40,000 crores in toll revenue. This is expected to increase to 1.4 trillion in the next two to three years after GNSS is fully implemented.
NHAI aims to integrate this system with the existing FASTag setup using a hybrid model. Where both Radio Frequency Identification and Global Navigation Satellite System will be implemented. The toll plaza will have GNSS lanes so that GNSS equipped vehicles can pass without stopping.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
