In response to a query from Maharashtra MP Ashok Chavan, Gadkari stated that a request for proposal for the Dwarka Expressway had been floated, and the system could be extended to other stretches of national highways depending on the outcomes and effectiveness of the pilot. He mentioned that the operational costs for the barrier-free fee collection system were expected to be lower, although he did not provide details on the potential revenue savings from the unmanned booths or specify a timeline.
To another question raised by Punjab MP Sanjeev Arora, Gadkari highlighted that the implementation of the FASTag system had significantly reduced the average waiting time at toll plazas from 734 seconds to 47 seconds, as per a study commissioned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the financial year 2022-23.
As of October 2024, there were 1,015 operational toll plazas on national highways, with toll collection amounting to Rs 558.82 billion in 2023-24, as mentioned in the response. In comparison, toll collection in 2019-20 was Rs 275.03 billion. Gadkari further explained that user fee collections increase each year due to traffic growth, revision of user fee rates, and the addition of new tollable road sections.
