In a major shift towards barrier-less highway travel, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Saturday announced that the National Highways Authority of India has launched India’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system in Gujarat, with over 41,500 vehicles passing through the stretch on the first day.
According to the ministry, the MLFF-based tolling system has been successfully implemented at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza on the Surat-Bharuch section of NH-48, marking a key step in transforming electronic toll collection in the country.
The barrier-less system removes physical toll booths, enabling seamless vehicle movement without stopping. The ministry said the MLFF framework allows vehicles to pass through toll locations with minimal human intervention, ensuring smoother traffic flow and reducing congestion.
The system is powered by advanced technologies such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and FASTag-based electronic toll collection, enabling automated tolling and improving travel efficiency and convenience for highway users.
To ensure smooth functioning, highway users have been advised to maintain sufficient balance in their FASTag accounts. In cases of insufficient balance or invalid FASTags, users will receive an electronic notice (E-Notice) and must pay the normal toll fee within 72 hours, failing which they will be charged double the standard rate.
The ministry also warned that non-payment of E-Notices could lead to blacklisting of FASTag accounts and restrictions on vehicle-related services through the VAHAN platform.
The government said the rollout of MLFF will significantly reduce travel time, improve fuel efficiency, lower vehicular emissions, and enhance transparency in toll operations while reducing operational costs, paving the way for a more efficient and cost-effective tolling ecosystem across India’s National Highway network.
