In India, satellite-based tolling systems for national roads will soon be in place. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will shortly begin implementing the new system, according to Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
By March 2024, the minister said the Rajya Sabha, NHAI will implement a toll system on national roads that is based on satellite technology.
The World Bank was recently notified by India of significant progress in reducing wait times at toll plazas and expediting export release timings at land ports. Following the introduction of FASTag, the average wait time at toll plazas has significantly decreased, now only 47 seconds, compared to the previous wait of 714 seconds. The Indian government presented its plans to World Bank representatives in a recent debate.
Data from the Road Transport Ministry shows that, by November of last year, agencies under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had expanded or finished 5,248 km of NHs, up from 4,766 km in the same period the previous year.
With only four months remaining in the current fiscal year, the government's objective of building and extending 12,000 km looks to be difficult to meet.
Comparatively speaking, this year's bidding pace for new projects has slowed down considerably. Agencies had bid for 5,382 km of work between April and November of 2022–2023, but this year, it has only reached 2,815 km.
The approval of the updated Bharatmala Phase-1 or alternative programmes has been delayed, raising concerns about how this would affect project bidding. The lack of projects awarded this year may have an impact on the progress of building in FY 2024–2025.
The road ministry has been directed by the finance ministry not to start any new Bharatmala projects without new cabinet permission, which will have an impact on the construction of more than 8,000 km of NH routes under the government's flagship initiative.
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