Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) – A step forward to make India digital

1. Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) – A step forward to make India digital Digital India is a term that mostly every Indian is familiar with. With the advancing technology, every other person is opting for the ways to go digital and leverage the use of digital money rather than depending on cash. Every single sector of the progressing economy is opting for such means and the National Highways Authority of India is catching up to it as well. NHAI has been amalgamating the progressive Information Technology in the infrastructure of Highways for providing the commuters with world class and comfortable services. In lieu of the emergence of this ideal, the National Highways Authority of India has introduced their own citizen-centric application, Sukhad Yatra. The application is soon going to receive its public announcement but is currently available for free download for the Android and iOS users. Backed with all the necessary information that a highway commuter would require, this app is definitely a great move by the concerned department. The ride doesn’t just stop there though. NHAI has been encouraging the notion of digital India since day one, the integration of Electronic Toll Collection is simply accentuating the same. This has not just fastened the process of tax collection at the toll plazas but has also made the process more authentic and transparent. The hyperactive workflow is what has been a highlight throughout the process. Within just a year of implementation, the Electric Tolling has been made operational across 383 Toll Plazas in India with a least of one lane dedicated just to ETC. There has been a vehement work going on across the entire nation to convert every single tolling lanes into an ETC lane. This is expected to streamline the tax payment and facilitate transparency in the entire process. Apart from this all, NHAI has also integrated FASTag stickers into their electronic tolling process. This is a small Radio Frequency Identification sticker which can be detected by the sensor in the toll booths and the tax amount will be deducted from the associated FASTag account without any hassle. With over 1 million users of the same, this initiative by NHAI to promote Electronic Toll Collection has definitely boosted the procedure of tax collection. The concept of open tolling is also in the works. NHAI is testing their hands on the GPS tolling on the Delhi to Mumbai corridor. If executed perfectly, this can make taxpaying easier than before. The entire process would be based on the “distance based tolling” that’s going to be operated and handled by software without any manual work at these toll plaza infrastructure. The National Highways Authority of India has been playing out their cards for enhancing people’s convenience while on a highway journey, the integration of digital means with ETC and Sukhad Yatra is simply accentuating that drive even further.