For barrier-less toll collection on highways and charge users only for the distance covered, the government has invited initial bids or Expression of Interest (EoI) from companies in India and abroad to implement Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC).


The objective of this global EoI is to identify qualified and experienced agencies for procurement of robust, scalable and efficient Toll Charger Software, the bid document issued by Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL) said.
IHMCL has been promoted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) with its Concessionaires and Financial Institutions to carry out electronic tolling and allied works.


The scope of work broadly includes the precise geo-referenced map making and development of scalable and robust real-time GNSS-based Toll Charger Software. As per the EoI document the government plans to go live with the GNSS on 2000 km in the first three months of signing the contract and go live pan-India in 24 months. Initially, dedicated lanes for GNSS have been proposed.  As GNSS-based ETC becomes more widespread, all lanes will eventually be converted to GNSS lanes.


GNSS implementation will address the complaint of waiting at toll plazas and being charged a flat amount for travelling on a highway stretch even if the vehicle gets off midway. Prior to the EoI, pilots for GPS-system based toll collection were held on different expressway stretches. The last date for submitting applications is 22nd July.


Germany was the first country to introduce GNSS-based truck tolling in 2005. Since then it has been expanded to other Asian and European countries, US, Russia and many others. Before the EoI a consultant was appointed for the study of global good practices and readiness assessment. The consultant was also required to prepare standards and specifications and requisite legal changes.


At present, user fee is collected for approximately 45,000 km of national highways and expressways at 1200 toll plazas maintained by NHAI and its concessionaires. The length of highways on which toll is collected is expected to go up to around 1,00,000 km in the next 10 years, according to the document.  
As of March 2024, more than 98% of user fee payments are made through the radio frequency-based system FASTag at the Toll Plazas. In the last financial year, Rs 54,750 crore was collected as toll through FASTag as against Rs 46,821 crore in the previous year.