Dwarka Expressway to become India's first free flow tolling system with no toll plazas in next few months

The Dwarka Expressway will soon implement India's first "Free Flow Tolling" system. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to introduce this system in a few months, eliminating physical toll plazas or barriers on the 28-km highway.

Instead of traditional toll collection methods, advanced FASTag readers and high-power cameras will be installed on overhead structures to scan tags and capture vehicle registration numbers, even at speeds of 100 kmph. This will allow toll amounts to be deducted automatically, ensuring a smoother traffic flow.

Sources indicated that the initiative will help evaluate compliance and pave the way for effective satellite-based tolling systems in the future.


Currently, India uses gantry-based tolling on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which includes a toll plaza in Meerut for fee verification. However, the Dwarka Expressway will feature no such toll plazas. The NHAI is also exploring methods to recover unpaid tolls passively.

A gantry for tolling will be installed at the Delhi-Gurgaon border of the expressway. The toll charge for this corridor is yet to be decided.

The NHAI has also asked the road transport ministry to modify the Vahan system, a database of registered vehicles, to assist in recovering unpaid tolls from vehicles without FASTag or with faulty/blacklisted tags.

They have proposed an "unpaid user fee due" section to be added to the Vahan portal, similar to the existing "unpaid traffic challans" section. When logged in, vehicle owners will see the due amount and a photo of their vehicle for proof. Owners must clear their dues or raise objections within seven days to proceed with registration transfers, obtain NoCs, or renew fitness certificates.

This proposal aims to streamline the toll collection process and ensure compliance among vehicle owners.