India is preparing for a major transformation in highway travel, with toll plazas set to gradually disappear under a nationwide barrier-free electronic toll collection system. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the country is targeting implementation of the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling model across the national highway network by February-March 2027. The technology is expected to allow vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping, while cutting fuel consumption, congestion and the cost of operating conventional toll plazas.
The way motorists pay highway tolls in India could change dramatically within the next few months as the government accelerates its plans to introduce a fully digital and barrier-free toll collection mechanism.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday that the government wants to move towards a nationwide Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system, under which vehicles would no longer have to stop at conventional toll plazas. The target is to make the system operational across the country by February-March 2027.
The minister said officials have been directed to substantially complete the work by December 2026. According to him, around 60 to 70 per cent of the work could be completed by the end of this year, paving the way for a nationwide transition to barrier-free tolling early next year.
Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, Gadkari said the objective was to make toll collection seamless while eliminating the delays associated with physical toll barriers.
The MLFF model relies on technology rather than traditional toll booths. Overhead gantries equipped with electronic identification and monitoring systems can detect vehicles as they travel through designated tolling points. The applicable toll can then be charged digitally without requiring motorists to stop or slow down significantly.
For highway users, the most visible change would be the disappearance of conventional toll barriers. Instead of entering a toll plaza, waiting in a lane and crossing a physical gate, vehicles would continue their journey at normal highway speeds.
Gadkari pointed to the wider economic and environmental benefits of the transition. Removing stoppages at toll points can reduce unnecessary idling and acceleration, which in turn can lower fuel consumption. It could also reduce the operational and maintenance expenditure associated with large toll plazas.
The minister had earlier inaugurated the country's first barrier-free tolling system at the Mundka-Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on Delhi's Urban Extension Road-II in May. The initiative serves as an important step towards testing and expanding a model that could eventually be adopted across the national highway network.
The move also represents a broader shift in India's approach to highway infrastructure, where digital technology is increasingly being integrated into traffic management, toll collection and enforcement. A nationwide MLFF network would potentially make toll payments less dependent on physical infrastructure and enable smoother movement of traffic at high-volume locations.
However, a countrywide rollout will require extensive technological coordination. Identification systems, digital payment mechanisms, vehicle databases, enforcement arrangements and data management will all have to work together across thousands of kilometres of highways.
The government will therefore face the challenge of ensuring that the system remains reliable while providing motorists with a transparent mechanism for toll payments and dispute resolution.
If the proposed timeline is achieved, the February-March 2027 rollout could mark a significant turning point in India's highway journey. The traditional image of vehicles queuing before toll barriers could increasingly give way to uninterrupted highway movement, with technology handling the payment process in the background.
For millions of daily highway users, the success of MLFF could ultimately be measured in simpler terms: fewer stops, shorter journeys, lower fuel wastage and a smoother driving experience.
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