News: The Union Road Transport Minister informed the Rajya Sabha about the nationwide rollout of the MLFF tolling system by 2026.
About Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) Tolling System
- The Multi-Lane Free Flow tolling system is a barrier-free digital toll collection system that allows vehicles to pass toll points without stopping.
- Initiated by: The system has been initiated by the National Highways Authority of India through its subsidiary Indian Highways Management Company Limited.
- Technologies used : Each tolling point will be equipped with:
- Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at the front and rear to capture license plates.
- High-performance RFID readers that detect and authenticate FASTag information.
- Artificial intelligence-enabled software for precise optical character recognition and data validation.
- LiDAR-based sensors for accurate vehicle classification.
- Working mechanism
- When a vehicle passes through a toll, its registration number and FASTag details are automatically identified, verified, and processed for real-time toll deduction through the NPCI network.
- Each site will have a bank or financial entity partnered with a system integrator to manage and operate the tolling system.
About Indian Highways Management Company Limited
- Indian Highways Management Company Limited was incorporated jointly by NHAI, its concessionaires, and financial institutions.
- It was established on 26 December 2012.
- The shareholding pattern of stakeholders is NHAI-41.38%, Concessionaires-33.81% and Financial Institutions 24.81%.
- The company was formed under the Companies Act, 1956 to carry out electronic tolling and allied works of NHAI.
- Functions
- IHMCL implements the FASTag-based Electronic Toll Collection system and deploys Intelligent Transport Systems, including GIS-based tracking and AI-driven traffic management, on national highways.
- It manages the 1033 toll-free helpline and the toll clearinghouse, and has moved toward data monetisation to share insights with enforcement agencies.
