Delhi’s New Barrier-Free Tolls: What Changes And What Happens If You Miss A Toll Payment?

Delhi Barrier-Less Toll: Delhi is next to Gujarat to get the country’s second barrier-less toll. Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated the Multi-Lane Free Flow enabling barrier-free toll on Delhi’s Urban Extension Road-II. Mundka-Bakkarwala toll has become the second toll barrier-free in India. On 1st May, Nitin Gadkari opened the new Choryasi toll plaza on the Surat-Bharuch part of the Mumbai-Delhi National Highway (NH-48) in a barrier-less format. The National Highway Authority of India is further planning to enable more toll plazas with the MLFF technology in the current financial year.

More barrier-less toll plazas for highways, bridges and tunnels

The national rollout will be implemented across 17 fee plazas in 9 States. All are aimed to go live by September 2026. In states like Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Assam, these plazas are found. By March 2027, an extra 108+ plazas in phase 2 will be added.

What changes for commuters after new barrier-free tolls in Delhi? 

A reduced payment wait time will be a huge benefit for travellers. The regular toll gates typically cause congestion in weekends, festive days and in rush hours, particularly in metropolitan areas. With barrier- free tolling, cars need not stop to pay but rather maintain their speed. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways believes that the innovation will promote fuel economy and help minimise exhaust emissions due to stationary cars waiting to pass through tolls.

What is the technology used in new barrier-free tolls?

The technology used in the barrier-less tolling innovation will be contingent on FASTag compatibility. The cameras will be mounted on top of the toll booth and will read the number plate of the cars passing through them, while the FASTag sensors will validate the vehicle’s registration on the VAHAN database.

The tolls will be deducted by an AI-powered system which will compare both data entries. In recent days, the MLFF trials have been being conducted at the Mundka toll gate on UER-II.

What are barrier-free tolls? 

Barrier-free tolling is all about making your drive smoother; you don’t have to stop at toll plazas anymore. Instead of the usual barriers, this setup uses overhead sensors and cameras to spot your car and charge the toll automatically as you pass by. It’s powered by Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) technology, so you just keep driving and the system does the rest.

What happens if you miss a toll payment? 

If you miss a toll payment, NHAI wants you to pay up within 72 hours from when they send the e-Notice. If you do, you’ll just pay the regular toll. Wait longer than that, and they’ll hit you with double charges. That’s why you might see a bigger deduction later on, it’s not because you used the new MLFF road, it’s because you didn’t clear the missed toll soon enough.

Want to avoid those double charges? Here’s the drill: Keep your FASTag active, make sure there’s enough money loaded up, use a High Security Registration Plate, and keep an eye on notifications from your registered mobile number. 

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