The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched Tamil Nadu’s first barrier-free tolling system at Paranur on NH-179B, allowing vehicles to pay through FASTag and camera-based identification without stopping at a toll plaza. The system became operational on 30 September, according to a release issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on 1 October.

The technology, known as multi-lane free flow (MLFF), removes toll booths and barriers across the plaza. FASTags fitted to windscreens are read as vehicles pass through, while cameras capture number plates and match them with the relevant vehicle before the toll is deducted from the FASTag balance.

NHAI said the system is intended to reduce journey times, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions by removing repeated stopping and starting. It also reduces manual handling, which the authority said can improve transparency and lower the cost of operating toll facilities compared with conventional physical plazas.

Drivers must maintain a valid FASTag with sufficient balance to avoid electronic notices or payment-related action. Paranur is part of NHAI’s phased expansion of MLFF, which is already operational at Chorayasi plaza on the Surat-Bharuch section of NH-48 in Gujarat and at Mundka-Bakkarwala plaza on Delhi’s Urban Extension Road-II.

The system also operates at Shahjahanpur, Daulatpura and Manoharpura plazas on the Delhi-Jaipur section of NH-48 in Rajasthan, as well as at Gharaunda plaza on the Panipat-Jalandhar section of NH-44 in Haryana. NHAI said these deployments have supported more transparent and efficient toll operations.

With Paranur, Tamil Nadu joins the list of locations using MLFF as the government seeks to facilitate travel and business through technology. The release did not specify the next locations for rollout or provide a timeline for further expansion.