Verma reviews MCD-NHAI coordination, orders gantry tolling and encroachment removal

Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma on Friday chaired a UT-Level Coordination Committee meeting to address critical issues between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and directed swift adoption of modern toll collection solutions, and identified bottlenecks on the important highways.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 August

He said, "Our highways cannot run on outdated systems. Gantry-based tolling, ANPR cameras, RFID readers and FASTag integration will cut delays and improve transparency. Delhi must lead in adopting technology for efficient traffic management," Verma added.

The gantry tolling refers to a system where the toll is collected electronically by a device placed on an overhead structure spanning above a road, which houses cameras, sensors etc, and collects vehicle data when it passes; this can also be called as open road tolling, where vehicles are not required to stop like at the conventional toll booths, which consumes more time.

The review led by the minister focused on decongesting traffic at toll plazas, resolving revenue disputes, introducing technology-driven tolling systems, and ensuring removal of obstructions, unauthorized advertisements, and waste dumping that slow down Delhi's infrastructure progress.