New Delhi [India], May 2 (ANI): In a major shift towards barrier-less highway travel, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on Saturday announced that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched India's first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system in Gujarat, with over 41,500 vehicles passing through the stretch on the first day.

In a release, the ministry said NHAI has 'successfully launched the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) based tolling system at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza on the Surat-Bharuch section of NH-48 in Gujarat,' marking a key step in transforming electronic toll collection in the country.

The new system removes physical toll barriers and enables seamless vehicle movement. 'The MLFF framework introduces barrier-less tolling with minimal human intervention, enabling vehicles to pass through toll locations without stopping and ensuring seamless traffic flow,' the release said.

Highlighting early adoption, the ministry said, 'around 41,500 vehicles crossed the MLFF toll location on the first day after the implementation of the system.'

The system uses advanced technologies such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and FASTag-based electronic toll collection for automated tolling.

According to the ministry, this 'marks a paradigm shift in the travel experience for National Highway users, significantly enhancing efficiency and convenience.'

It will 'significantly reduce congestion, improve travel time, enhance fuel efficiency and lower vehicular emissions on National Highways,' the release said.

For smooth functioning, highway users have been advised to ensure sufficient balance in their FASTag accounts. The ministry warned that in cases of insufficient balance or invalid FASTags, 'users will be issued an Electronic Notice (E-Notice) for non-payment of user fee.'

It further said that such users 'will be required to pay normal user fee within 72 hours of the E-Notice,' failing which 'the user fee will be charged at twice the normal rate of the vehicle category.'

The release also noted that non-payment could attract further penalties, stating that 'non-payment of E-Notices may result in blacklisting of FASTag and restriction of other vehicle-related services through the VAHAN platform.'

The government said the MLFF rollout will also improve operational efficiency. 'The introduction of MLFF will help to strengthen toll operations by enhancing transparency and reducing operational costs of setting up toll plazas,' the ministry said, adding that it will support 'a more robust, efficient and cost-effective tolling ecosystem across the National Highway network.' (ANI)