GPS technology will make India become ‘toll booth free’ in next two years: Nitin Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari said that the government has finalised the GPS-based technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across the country.

Representational Image: ZeeNews

New Delhi: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari on Thursday (December 17) said that the government has finalised GPS-based technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across the country. 

Gadkari said the Global Positioning System technology will ensure India becomes ‘toll booth free’ in the next two years while addressing the ASSOCHAM Foundation Week Programme here o Thursday.

The Union minister shared his perspective on the theme ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline critical for economic revival across sectors,’ and explained that the toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account based on the movement of vehicles. 

While now all commercial vehicles are coming with vehicle tracking systems, the government will come up with some plan to install GPS technology in old vehicles, he said.

The minister expressed hope that the toll collections may reach Rs 34,000 crore by coming March, adding that by using GPS technology for toll collection,the toll income in next five years will be Rs 1,34,000 crore.

Gadkari said that industrial development is key to employment generation and poverty eradication in India, however at present, industry is India is centralised in urban areas as such decentralisation of industry is imperative to boost growth rate as growing urbanisation is causing grave problems in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and others.

The minister also impressed upon the need to promote public-private investment in infrastructure development, while assuring the government’s support in projects that are not economically viable.