India's First Lidar-Based Barrierless Tolling System Now Live: Here's How It Works [Video]
We are all familiar with the tolling system. It has now become the fee that people pay to use highways. How do you pay this? You reach plazas, stop your vehicle near the sensor, pay using FASTag or in cash, continue your journey. This is now set to change. The government has initiated pilot projects for barrier-less tolling. In the most recent development, India’s first LiDAR-based no-stop tolling system has been taken live. Pilot projects of Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) have been set up in Rajasthan’s Manoharpur, and Telangana’s Hyderabad.
Hyderabad and Manoharpur have become the first places to get this system. The biggest advantage of this system is that they do not require vehicles to slow down significantly or stop at plazas. It uses advanced LiDAR technology to detect and identify vehicles and collect tolls. LiDAR expands to 'Light Detection and Ranging'.
LiDAR uses laser beams to measure distances and detect moving objects with high precision. In this case, it is used to get a real-time 3D understanding of traffic conditions on highways. The system then uses data from LiDAR and camera-based solutions to identify vehicles and process toll payments automatically. It also makes use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) for further processing.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has partnered with Cron AI, a deep-tech company to set up this infrastructure. It deploys Cron AI’s senseEdge platform. This is used to detect the vehicle details in real time. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology is used for this.
This data is then processed and the vehicles are classified based on their make, size, axle count, and other details. Finally the toll fee is deducted from the FASTag automatically, using the processed data. Vehicles do not have to stop or slow down for these to happen. SenseEdge is claimed to be capable of working smoothly even in adverse weather conditions and amidst chaotic traffic.
Cron AI claims that it has factored in complex Indian traffic conditions (inconsistent lane discipline, frequent vehicle overlap, and more) while designing this model. It can also function smoothly in heavy rain and fog.
The senseEDGE can process data near the data-generating points. The pilot projects at both Manoharpur and Hyderabad are capable of handling 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles a day.
India has a massive national highway network spanning over 1.46 lakh kilometres. The authorities are now working towards modernising the tolling infrastructure on these. The government plans to gradually upgrade more than 1,100 toll plazas to MLFF systems in the future. If this goes through, the highway experience in India will change dramatically.
Tolls on highways aren’t going anywhere. As per latest developments, toll is now seen as a user fee that people pay to enjoy the ‘premium highway experience’.
A key amendment made to the National Highways Fee Rules 2008 reshaped how tolling works in the country. You will have to pay them as long as you wish to use the highways. In this context, having a seamless payment system makes a lot of sense.
With MLFF, you will not have to slow down at toll plazas anymore. It will reduce travel time significantly, improve fuel efficiency and ease congestion. All these mean fewer bottlenecks, especially during peak hours and on holidays. And more importantly, cleaner air near plazas, as congestion often make the air quality fall.