Centre to track 100 toll plazas with GIS-based software to ease traffic

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday announced to track around 100 toll plazas with GIS-based software for seamless movement of traffic at national highways.

The live monitoring and tracking system at the toll plazas will help to ensure free flow of traffic and a hassle-free tolling experience for the national highway users at the fee plazas across the country.

These toll plazas have been identified based on congestion feedback received through 1033 National Highway helpline, according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that the live monitoring and tracking system will provide congestion alerts and lane distribution recommendations when the queue of vehicles at a toll plaza is more than the prescribed limit.

The GIS-based software has been developed by the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI.

Initially, NHAI has identified around 100 toll plazas for live monitoring on the web-based software. The monitoring service will be extended to more toll plazas in a phased manner.

Apart from providing the name and location of the toll plaza, the software will share details related to the live status of queue length in meters, total waiting time and vehicle speed at Toll Plaza.

According to the NHAI, it will also provide congestion alert and lane distribution recommendation, if the queue of vehicles at a toll plaza is more than the prescribed limit.

The software will help NHAI officials to gain insights by providing comparative traffic condition analysis on hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis for the traffic queue and congestion.

Meanwhile, the toll fee collection on national highways under the NHAI reached Rs 54,811.13 crore in the fiscal 2023-24. The ministry spent Rs 6,523 crore towards maintenance of national highways during the last year.