NHAI launches app to help commuters get toll plaza information on their smartphone

NEW DELHI: Now road users can check whether a toll plaza is operating legally and how much they should pay at each toll plaza. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a portal a mobile-based application that will help commuters locate all toll plazas on a stretch and the charges payable for each category of vehicle - car, jeep, truck or bus.

Suppose one plans to travel between Delhi and Mumbai, he just needs to enter names of the origin and destination to get details of all toll plazas.

A government official said that the website - www.nhaitis.org - is already functional and information related to 255 toll plazas have been uploaded in the system. Details of other 30 plazas will be uploaded in the next two weeks, sources said.

"Commuters can also access updated information about concessions available for local and frequent users on any toll plaza so that the toll operators can't fleece them. They can get details of the facilities available near a toll plaza, contact numbers for emergency services, local police station and nearest hospital," said an official.

To make the information accessible while on the move, the highway authority said that people can also get all these details simply by sending an SMS. All that they need is to download an application (App) on their android-enabled smart phones. The App will provide details of all toll plazas within 100 km range.

Overcharging, misbehaviour by toll operators and long wait at toll plazas are some of the major irritants for road-users. Moreover, though it's mandatory that a big hoarding at every plaza must display the applicable toll charges for each type of vehicle, private developers often fail to put them up. The new IT initiative is likely to address these concerns.