"By December 2015 we plan 350 Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) at all national highways across India which will help in savings of Rs 27,000 crore due to delays caused at tolls and Rs 7,000 crore worth of fuel will be saved," the minister said while unveiling the ETC system on Delhi-Mumbai highway through computerised mode from Delhi.
On the Delhi-Mumbai highway, Rs 1,200 crore worth of fuel will be saved annually after the installation of ETC, the minister said.
ETC has been installed at 55 Toll Plazas and their integration with Central Clearing House (CCH) operators has almost been completed on the Delhi-Mumbai route via Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
A pilot project for interoperable ETC system of 10 toll plazas between Mumbai (Charoti) and Ahmedabad has already been tested and seamless ETC on this section is in operation.
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At present, there are some problems in collecting toll, including lack of uniform rates, throughout various sections of the national highways and many complaints of overcharging and undercharging.
For implementing ETC across the country, a new company under Company's Act, 1956, with equity participation from NHAI (25 per cent), concessionaires (50 per cent) and financial institutions (25 per cent) has already been constituted. The name of the new company is "Indian Highways Management Company Limited".
The company's objectives include collection of toll through ETC and manage the project and commercially provide services of central ETC system.