Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has begun preparations for the implementation of the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system on National Highways by directing officials to ensure the availability of exempted FASTags for eligible users entitled to toll exemptions.
The Office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Southern Division, Berhampur, on Wednesday, forwarded a communication issued by the Commerce and Transport Department to all Collectors and District Magistrates under its jurisdiction, directing them to take necessary steps for implementing the new arrangements.
The move follows the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ (MoRTH) plan to introduce the MLFF tolling system on all four-lane and above National Highways across the country in a phased manner. The advanced tolling mechanism aims to allow vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping, thereby reducing travel time and improving traffic flow.
Under the proposed system, technologies such as gantry-mounted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be used for automated vehicle identification and toll processing.
The Commerce and Transport Department has advised officers and other eligible users covered under Rule 11 of the National Highways Fee Rules to obtain exempted FASTags for their vehicles at the earliest. These FASTags will enable the automated tolling system to identify vehicles that are legally exempt from paying user charges.
Officials have also been asked to encourage departments using non-exempt government vehicles and private vehicle owners to opt for FASTag Annual Passes to ensure smoother toll payments.
The directive was issued as part of Odisha’s preparedness for the nationwide rollout of the MLFF system, which is expected to bring a shift from conventional toll plazas to a more technology-driven and seamless toll collection mechanism.
