After the announcement of the implementation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Electronic Toll collection in India, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) said that it has developed a GIS-based software for Real-time monitoring of the waiting time at the Toll Plazas.
Key takeaways:
-The new software has been developed by Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
– Initially, this new technology will be implemented at 100th toll plazas, which have been identified by NHAI, for live monitoring. These toll plazas have been selected on the basis of the congestion feedback received through National Highway helpline number i.e 1033.
-The GIS-based software will provide the name and location of the toll plaza to the officials.
-It will also provide congestion alert and lane distribution recommendations, if the queue of vehicles at a toll plaza is more than the prescribed limit.
-The software will provide updates of current weather conditions and information about local festivals.
-MoRTH is currently working on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based tolling system, which is expected to replace the current FASTag toll collection system and provide a long-term solution for congestion at tolling booths.
-Currently, the Electronic Toll Collection in India is done through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, commonly known as FASTag.
– It was launched in India in 2015 and Since February 2021, FASTag has been made mandatory for the payment of user fees at National Highway toll plazas, with a provision for a 100% penalty for cash or non-FASTag payments.
Advantages of Satellite Based toll Collection:
Satellite-based highway toll collection offers several potential benefits compared to traditional toll systems. These include:
Reduced Infrastructure Costs: Unlike physical toll booths, satellite-based systems eliminate the need for building and maintaining expensive toll plazas and gantries, reducing both construction and operational costs.
Seamless Travel Experience: Drivers do not need to slow down or stop to pay tolls, resulting in less congestion and smoother traffic flow. This can lead to reduced travel time and enhanced convenience.
Scalability: Satellite-based tolling can easily be expanded to cover large geographic areas without the need for significant infrastructure changes. This is especially useful for rural or remote highways.
Increased Accuracy and Flexibility: The use of satellites provides highly accurate vehicle tracking, enabling dynamic toll pricing based on real-time factors such as distance traveled, vehicle type, and traffic conditions. This allows for more flexible tolling schemes.
Reduced Environmental Impact: By eliminating the need for toll booths and reducing traffic congestion, satellite-based systems can help lower vehicle emissions and energy consumption, contributing to environmental sustainability.
Improved Revenue Collection: Satellite tolling can help minimize toll evasion by accurately monitoring vehicle movements. Automated billing systems also ensure better collection and reduce the chances of fraud.
Enhanced Safety: Without the need for vehicles to stop at toll plazas, the risk of accidents in and around toll collection points is significantly reduced.
Interoperability: Satellite-based systems can be integrated across different regions and countries, facilitating cross-border travel and toll payments without requiring multiple systems or toll tags.
Overall, this system can modernize toll collection, enhance efficiency, and improve the driving experience.
Challenges associated with Satellite Based toll Collection:
GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)-based electronic toll collection (ETC) systems, while offering many advantages, also come with several challenges and issues that need to be addressed:
1. Accuracy and Reliability
Signal Interference: GNSS signals can be affected by environmental factors such as buildings, tunnels, and weather conditions, leading to inaccuracies in vehicle location tracking.
Urban Areas: In densely populated urban areas, tall buildings can cause signal reflections (multipath effects), reducing the accuracy of positioning systems.
2. Cost of Implementation
Vehicle Equipment: Vehicles need to be equipped with GNSS receivers and additional hardware to enable satellite-based tolling. This could be expensive, especially for retrofitting older vehicles.
Ongoing Maintenance: Maintaining satellite systems and related infrastructure involves significant operational costs, including system upgrades and maintenance of software platforms.
3. Privacy Concerns
Data Collection: GNSS-based systems track the real-time location of vehicles, raising concerns about personal privacy and the potential misuse of location data.
Data Security: Ensuring the security of user data is critical. Unauthorized access to sensitive data could lead to breaches of privacy and hacking threats.
4. Legal and Regulatory Issues
Cross-border Interoperability: Implementing GNSS-based tolling systems across different regions or countries may face regulatory hurdles due to varying legal frameworks.
Data Governance: Different jurisdictions may have distinct data protection laws, making it difficult to harmonize data collection, sharing, and usage policies.
6. Technical Failures and Reliability
System Failures: GNSS-based systems rely on complex technology, including satellite communications and cloud-based platforms. Any failure in these systems could lead to inaccurate toll calculations or disruption of services.
Fallback Mechanisms: Backup systems must be in place in case GNSS services fail or face outages, which can add to the cost and complexity of the system.