Barrier-Free Toll System in India Is Live: How ANPR + FASTag Plazas Work and Where They Are

The toll barrier is finally coming down

India has crossed a milestone most highway users assumed was years away: the first barrier-free toll plazas are live. Contracts have been awarded to convert 17 plazas to barrier-free operation, and five of them are already running — Choryasi near Surat, Mundka in Delhi, Gharaunda in Haryana, and Manoharpura and Daulatpura in Rajasthan, according to Business Standard. No boom gates, no crawling queue, no pause-and-beep.

The barrier free toll system India is rolling out does not rely on satellites, despite years of GPS-tolling headlines. In July 2026 the Centre settled the question — for now — by choosing FASTag-based barrier-free tolling backed by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) over GPS/GNSS tolling. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has said plainly that no nationwide decision has been taken to replace FASTag with GNSS.

The ambition, though, is national. The government is targeting an AI-powered barrier-free tolling system across national highways by end-2026, with vehicles reportedly able to pass toll points at up to 80 km/h. Bids have already been invited for 104 additional plazas.

How India's barrier-free toll system works

Think of it as a three-layer stack rather than a single technology. The first layer is the RFID FASTag already stuck to your windscreen. The second is ANPR: overhead cameras that read your number plate as you pass and cross-check it against the tag, so the correct account is charged even when a tag misreads. The third is LiDAR vehicle profiling, which scans each vehicle's physical dimensions to classify it correctly — a truck cannot slip through paying a hatchback's toll, and axle-based pricing stays honest.

Because the deduction happens while you are moving, there is nothing to stop for — the reported design intent is free-flow passage at up to 80 km/h. The plaza becomes a gantry you drive under, not a wall you queue at. For commuters, the time saving compounds daily — one reason the FASTag Annual Pass is suddenly a popular companion product.

Where it is live — and what comes next

Of the five live sites, the most interesting is the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) plaza operating on the Mundka-Bakkarwala stretch of UER-II in the NCR. MLFF is the idea taken to its logical end: multiple lanes, no barriers anywhere, every vehicle charged on the move.

The pipeline is what makes this more than a pilot: contracts cover 17 plazas in total, and bids have been invited for 104 more, per Business Standard. The stated goal is an AI-powered barrier-free system across national highways by end-2026 — an ambitious timeline given the gap between five live sites and a national network, so treat it as a target, not a promise.

Why the Centre picked FASTag + ANPR over GPS

GNSS tolling — charging per kilometre driven, tracked by satellite via an on-board unit — was long touted as the endgame for Indian highways. The Centre's July 2026 choice of FASTag-plus-ANPR is the pragmatic route: FASTag is already on the nation's windscreens, vehicle owners need no new hardware, and ANPR supplies the enforcement layer that barriers used to provide. MoRTH's position, per Business Today on 22 July 2026, remains that FASTag is not being replaced nationwide. Note the phrasing: GPS tolling is parked, not buried.

The honest assessment

This is genuinely good news, and rarer still, it builds on kit motorists already own. The queues at plazas like Gharaunda and Choryasi are exactly what electronic tolling was supposed to abolish years ago. But open questions remain. Without a barrier, the deterrent against an unfunded tag or obscured plate is a back-end penalty process, and ANPR accuracy on damaged plates will be tested at scale. The end-2026 nationwide target looks optimistic against 17 contracted sites and 104 still at bid stage. And the system only works if your FASTag is active and funded — worth checking alongside your road tax and registration paperwork.

The questions buyers actually ask

Do I still need a FASTag if the barriers are gone? Yes — more than ever. The system is FASTag-based; ANPR and LiDAR are cross-check and enforcement layers, not replacements. Keep the tag valid and topped up; frequent highway users should look at the FASTag Annual Pass.

How fast can I drive through a barrier-free plaza? The system is reportedly designed for vehicles passing at up to 80 km/h. That is a capability, not an invitation — posted limits still apply.

Is GPS-based tolling cancelled? Not cancelled, just not chosen. MoRTH says no nationwide decision has been taken to replace FASTag with GNSS; as of mid-2026, satellite tolling is a possibility, not a plan.

Key takeaways

• India's first barrier-free toll plazas are live at five sites, including Choryasi (Surat), Mundka (Delhi) and Gharaunda (Haryana).
• The system stacks FASTag RFID, ANPR cameras and LiDAR profiling — barriers removed, toll deducted on the move.
• Contracts cover 17 plazas, bids are invited for 104 more, and a nationwide AI-powered rollout is targeted by end-2026.
• The Centre chose FASTag + ANPR over GPS/GNSS tolling in July 2026; MoRTH says FASTag is not being replaced.
• Vehicles are expected to pass toll points at up to 80 km/h — keep your FASTag active and funded.