The Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), an arm of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has signed an agreement with ICICI Bank to bring the first comprehensive Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system to India. The Choryasi Fee Plaza on NH-48 in Gujarat will be the first to adopt this new system. The agreement was officially signed on August 30 at the NHAI Headquarters in Delhi, attended by NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, along with other senior officials from NHAI, IHMCL, and ICICI Bank. This project aims to improve the experience for National Highway users by providing a streamlined and barrier-free tolling process. The MLFF system will use FASTag for electronic toll collection, eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at toll plazas. This will allow the Choryasi Fee Plaza in Gujarat to become the first barrier-free toll plaza in the country. In addition to this, an agreement was also reached with ICICI Bank for implementing MLFF at the Gharaunda Fee Plaza in Haryana, situated on NH-44. Furthermore, the NHAI is planning to roll out MLFF-based tolling to approximately 25 National Highway fee plazas during the 2025-26 financial year. The identification process for these plazas is currently underway. NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said that the agreement is a significant step forward in modernizing tolling in India and will lay the foundation for a more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly tolling system. This aligns with the vision of technology-driven transformation in National Highway operations, paving the way for nationwide adoption.
**What is Multi-Lane Free-Flow Tolling?**
MLFF tolling is a system that allows vehicles to pass through toll plazas without stopping by using high-performance RFID readers and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras to read FASTag and Vehicle Registration Numbers (VRN). This seamless collection method helps in reducing congestion and travel time while boosting fuel efficiency and minimizing vehicle emissions.