The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has mandated Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling for all future national highway projects, marking a shift away from large physical toll plazas. Under the directive, new plazas will have a maximum of eight lanes, compared with designs that previously provided up to 32 lanes on heavily used routes.

The policy applies immediately to upcoming projects. Projects that have been awarded but have not started construction on their toll plazas must revise their plans to meet the new standards, while schemes still at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage will incorporate the layout into their bidding documents.

NHAI’s MLFF system uses overhead gantries fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. The arrangement is intended to identify and charge vehicles as they pass at highway speeds, removing the need for drivers to stop or slow down at conventional booths. It also reduces the requirement for multiple tolling lanes and attendant facilities.

The authority has directed regional officers, project implementation units and consultants to apply the provisions across upcoming and ongoing projects where relevant. The instruction represents a broader redesign of toll infrastructure, with smaller plazas requiring less land and fewer physical assets than conventional facilities.

NHAI expects the change to reduce land acquisition costs by shrinking the footprint of each plaza. It also estimates that operating costs for toll collection could fall from 12 to 15 per cent currently to about 3 to 4 per cent under the automated model. Each MLFF lane is estimated to process 600 vehicles an hour, although the system will depend on accurate vehicle identification and collection processes.