Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, unveiled the system at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza along the Surat–Bharuch stretch. The MLFF system employs technologies such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and FASTag to automatically recognize vehicles and deduct toll fees.
This initiative represents a significant advancement in the ongoing digital transformation of India’s highway infrastructure and tolling systems. By eliminating physical barriers, the system is anticipated to decrease congestion at toll plazas, reduce travel time, and enhance traffic flow along one of the nation’s most trafficked highway corridors.
Officials noted that the barrier-free model could also lead to improved fuel efficiency and decreased vehicle emissions by lessening idle time at toll stations. The reduced dependence on manual toll collection is expected to streamline operations and minimize human intervention.
The ministry indicated that this initiative aligns with broader objectives to modernize national highways and implement technology-driven solutions for transportation infrastructure. In recent years, the government has been expanding the adoption of FASTag-based electronic toll collection, with the MLFF system viewed as the subsequent phase in this evolution.
Additionally, in a related move, ICICI Bank has partnered as the banking provider for the MLFF toll system at the Chorayasi Fee Plaza, facilitating the backend payment infrastructure that allows vehicles to transit at highway speeds without stopping or facing barriers.
The government has suggested that similar systems may be developed at additional sites over time, contingent upon the success of this pilot project.
First Published: May 2, 2026 11:28 AM IST
