With Choryasi Fee Plaza in Gujarat & Gharaunda Fee Plaza in Haryana getting commenced in February 2006 and three more to be started in March, the Multi Lane Free flow tolling project has taken off in an ambitious way. Vishal Chauhan, CMD of Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) spoke to Mangala Chandran, Editor-in-Chief, Trafficinfratech on the salient features of the MLFF.
FASTag is now the very ambitious MLFF tolling system. This transition must definitely have been the result of various factors benefitting the road users and in tune with the overall vision of our Government…
The transition underway is essentially from conventional barrier-based tolling to a barrier-less tolling framework, aimed at improving logistics efficiency, reducing congestion, and enhancing user convenience. Under the Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system, toll deduction will take place through the existing FASTag-linked wallet. Vehicle identification is achieved through a combination of high-performance gantry-mounted RFID readers, which read the FASTag, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which capture the vehicle registration number. This enables seamless toll collection without requiring vehicles to stop at toll plazas. For vehicles with invalid or non-functional FASTags, electronic notices will be generated under Rule 14(2) of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, ensuring compliance without physical intervention.
The system ensures uninterrupted, zero-wait passage, significantly improving traffic flow and travel experience. At present, the average waiting time at toll plazas is around 40 seconds, which MLFF aims to eliminate entirely. Vehicles with invalid or non-functional FASTags are issued electronic notices under the applicable rules, ensuring compliance without physical intervention.
Following detailed examination, the Apex and High-Level Committees on GNSS-based tolling recommended FASTag plus ANPR as a proven, secure, and immediately deployable solution, while GNSS-based tolling requires further deliberation, particularly from security and privacy perspectives. The Economic Survey 2024–25 also highlights the Government’s plan to implement barrier-less tolling across all four-lane and above highways by FY 2028–29.
MLFF offers substantial operational efficiencies by significantly reducing manpower requirements, thereby bringing operating costs down to single digits, compared to 12–15 percent under conventional tolling. Pilot deployments at 20–25 locations are currently underway, after which a phased nationwide rollout is planned.
The MLFF ecosystem involves three important entities. IHMCL, Banks and System Integrators. How does this system work?
The MLFF framework has been designed as a unified, end-to-end solution. Under this model, tolling contracts are awarded to banks, which act simultaneously as the toll-collecting agency, system integrator and acquiring bank.
This represents a major shift from traditional tolling arrangements, where three separate entities were typically engaged: manpower agencies for toll collection, system integrators for hardware and software deployment, and banks for acquiring and settlement services. By consolidating these roles into a single accountable entity, the MLFF model ensures operational efficiency, faster dispute resolution, improved system reliability, and significantly lower transaction and operating costs.
