MoRTH, vide circular dated September 9, 2024, amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 whereby the definitions of 'closed user fee collection system' and 'electronic toll collection infrastructure' have been amended to enable levy of fees on vehicles using highways using the 'Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit'. The definition of electronic toll collection infrastructure now reads as, "means set of equipment comprising of hardware and software which shall facilitate electronic collection of user fees through Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit or Automatic Number Plate Recognition Device or FASTag or any combination thereof", while the definition of 'closed user fee collection system' now reads as, "a system under which the fee is levied based on the actual distance travelled by a mechanical vehicle, on a national highway or expressway and collected through Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit or any such device or Automatic Number Plate Recognition Device or FASTag or any combination thereof".
A new defined term 'Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit' has been introduced and the phrase is defined as "a non-transferable and firmly fitted device in a vehicle linked to Global Navigation Satellite System based user fee collection".
With these amendments to the existing definitions and the introduction of the definition of 'Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit', MoRTH has formalised the usage of satellite-based systems for computation of distance travelled by a vehicle for computation of fees/toll payable.
Source: MoRTH Notification dated September 9, 2024
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