Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled the system at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza along the Surat–Bharuch route. The MLFF system employs technologies like Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and FASTag to automatically recognize vehicles and deduct toll fees.
This initiative represents progress in the continuous digitization of India’s highway infrastructure and toll operations. By eliminating physical barriers, the system is anticipated to decrease congestion at toll plazas, shorten travel time, and enhance traffic movement on one of the nation’s busiest highway routes.
Officials noted that the barrier-free approach could also lead to improved fuel efficiency and reduced vehicle emissions by decreasing idling time at toll stations. A diminished dependence on manual toll collection is expected to make operations more efficient and decrease human intervention.
According to the ministry, this initiative aligns with comprehensive efforts to upgrade national highways and implement technology-driven solutions in transport infrastructure. The government has been increasing the adoption of FASTag-based electronic toll collection in recent years, with MLFF regarded as the next step in that evolution.
In a related effort, ICICI Bank has partnered as the banking collaborator for the MLFF tolling system at the Chorayasi Fee Plaza, facilitating the backend payment framework that allows vehicles to transit at highway speeds without stopping or encountering barriers.
The government expressed the possibility of rolling out similar systems at other locations over time, depending on the success of the pilot implementation.
First Published: May 2, 2026 11:28 AM IST
