Achieve road efficiency at minimal privacy risk

Source– The post is based on the article “Achieve road efficiency at minimal privacy risk” published in the “mint” on 25th July 2023.

Syllabus : GS2- Government policies and interventions. GS3- Infrastructure

Relevance: Issues related to road transport

News – The ministry of road transport and highways is planning to implement a toll collection system that uses satellite GPS tracking.

Why does the government want to introduce a toll collection system that uses satellite GPS tracking?

India adopted FASTag system. It eased traffic bottlenecks at toll plazas across the Country. But, toll snarls still persist on busy routes. It took away the pricing flexibility at the booth level.

The users have to pay the same charges for partial road use. There is a need for adjustable road pricing to meet the market demand.

With a network of multiple road options, toll prices that adjust according to varying traffic density can effectively attract or discourage users. It can lead to smoother overall traffic flow. Ultimately, it will save both time and fuel.

What are issues related to the toll collection system that uses satellite GPS tracking?

There are concerns regarding cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the current system. It relies on special wallets that require online money refills.

If the new system allows cars to directly access funds from our bank accounts, it would create a new weakness in our cyber defences due to a policy decision.

Under the proposed system, our personal location data would be transformed into a real-time GPS feed to facilitate toll charges. However, the misuse or unauthorised disclosure of this aerial data poses a significant risk to privacy of individuals.

Way forward

To ensure the tracking of road users, their explicit consent should be obtained upfront as part of the agreement.

Additional safeguards must be implemented. Strict time limits should be set on how long individually identifiable data can be retained once its stated purpose has been fulfilled.

The main objective of the ministry should be to align highway pricing with the fundamental principles of data protection. To avoid potential legal challenges in the future, clarity on privacy measures is essential.