No nationwide rollout of satellite tolling from May 1, FASTag-based toll collection to proceed: Government

The ministry of street transport and highways (MoRTH) on Friday dismissed stories suggesting {that a} satellite-based tolling system can be rolled out nationwide from 1 May 2025, changing the present FASTag system.
Clarifying the hypothesis, the ministry stated no such determination has been taken and that the general public shouldn’t be misled by unverified claims within the media.
The MoRTH stated that an automated quantity plate recognition (ANPR)-FASTag-based barrier-less tolling system will probably be launched at choose places so as to improve seamless motion of automobiles and scale back congestion at toll plazas.
The upcoming system will use a hybrid strategy, combining ANPR expertise, which identifies automobiles by studying their quantity plates, with the prevailing FASTag system that depends on Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) to deduct tolls.
With the brand new system, automobiles will probably be robotically charged based mostly on identification by way of high-performance ANPR cameras and FASTag readers, eliminating the necessity to cease at toll plazas.
The ministry added that violators might face penalties. E-notices will probably be issued for non-compliance, and continued failure to pay could lead to FASTag suspension together with different VAHAN-related penalties, the assertion warned.
The ministry reiterated that this tech-driven improve is being piloted solely at choose toll plazas for now and isn’t a blanket nationwide rollout.