India’s highways are moving to Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling, a barrier-less system that will let vehicles pass without stopping, which the government estimates could save around Rs 60 billion annually in operational costs and sharply cut congestion and fuel use. The first such system has been launched at the Mundka–Bakkarwala stretch of UER-II in NCR, with a similar setup already operational at the Chorayasi toll plaza on NH-48 in Gujarat.
MLFF uses automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) integrated with FASTag, ensuring seamless passage, lower logistics costs, and reduced waiting time and fuel wastage. Toll operation expenses are expected to fall from about 15 per cent to nearly 3 to 4 per cent, while cleaner mobility gains include a projected saving of around 2.5 billion litres of fuel and a reduction of nearly 81,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, especially benefiting polluted regions like Delhi-NCR.
The government is also linking MLFF with AI-based monitoring and stricter compliance, users with insufficient FASTag balance may face double tolls, blacklisting, and restrictions via the VAHAN platform. Alongside, “waste to wealth” initiatives are pushing the use of municipal waste and bio-bitumen in highway construction to cut imports and environmental impact.