Every transporter knows the ritual — slow down, queue up, wait for the barrier to lift, move on, whether you're behind the wheel of a heavy hauler or a mini truck on a local delivery run. India's push to eliminate that entire routine at toll plazas is starting to show real numbers behind it, according to a Crisil Intelligence report tracking the rollout of multilane free flow, or MLFF, tolling.
Six Plazas, 1.1 Crore Transactions
Table of Contents
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1. Six Plazas, 1.1 Crore Transactions |
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2. FASTag Still Does Most Of The Work |
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3. What This Actually Saves On The Road |
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4. A 121-Plaza Expansion Is Already Out For Bidding |
As of August 1, 2026, six MLFF plazas were operational out of 17 proposed under the initial phase, with 11 already awarded to operators. Since the first site went live at Choryasi in Gujarat on May 1, these six plazas have together processed over 110 lakh vehicle transactions and collected more than Rs 147 crore in toll revenue, covering everything from private cars to electric trucks passing through daily. Choryasi led on revenue at over Rs 51 crore, while Mundka in Delhi handled the highest volume at more than 41.5 lakh transactions, with the remaining plazas spread across Rajasthan and Haryana.
FASTag Still Does Most Of The Work
Electronic toll collection through FASTag accounted for roughly 94% of revenue at these plazas, bringing in Rs 138.4 crore between May and July against just Rs 9.2 crore collected through e-notices — the penalty mechanism used when a transaction fails due to tag issues, unregistered vehicles or tampered number plates on anything from private cars to electric buses. About 10% of vehicles passing through operational plazas triggered a payment failure and an e-notice during this period, roughly 10.5 lakh notices in total, with users given 72 hours to pay before the amount doubles. The annual FASTag pass, launched in August 2025, is already being used by around 52% of private vehicles at these plazas, close to 44.2 lakh vehicles.
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What This Actually Saves On The Road
The government's numbers behind the push are worth noting. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways expects MLFF tolling to cut operational costs by Rs 5,000-6,000 crore a year and save around 250 crore litres of fuel annually, translating to nearly 81,000 tonnes less CO2 by cutting down on idling and congestion at toll points. That's directly relevant for anyone running trucks or buses on long-haul routes, since idle time at barriers burns fuel without moving a single kilometre. Once fully rolled out, the system is projected to handle more than 450 crore vehicle passages through national highway plazas every year.
A 121-Plaza Expansion Is Already Out For Bidding
NHAI has already invited bids to extend MLFF tolling to 104 additional plazas across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat and Rajasthan, which would bring the total to 121 sites once combined with plazas already operational or awarded — enough to replace 10-11% of the more than 1,150 physical barrier plazas currently active nationwide. The report flagged real risks worth watching too, including revenue leakage from payment failures, inaccurate vehicle identification and tampered tags, calling for stronger ANPR camera coverage and tighter integration with the VAHAN registry. For operators running 3-wheelers on regular highway routes, this expansion is worth tracking closely, since toll efficiency directly affects turnaround time and fuel cost.
Frequently Asked Questions on Commercial Vehicles
Q1. How many MLFF toll plazas are currently operational in India?
Ans. As of August 1, 2026, six MLFF plazas were operational out of 17 proposed in the initial phase, with 11 already awarded to operators.
Q2. How much revenue has barrier-free tolling generated so far?
Ans. The six operational plazas have collected more than Rs 147 crore in toll revenue and processed over 1.1 crore vehicle transactions since May 2026.
Q3. What savings does the government expect from MLFF tolling nationwide?
Ans. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways expects MLFF tolling to cut operational costs by Rs 5,000-6,000 crore annually and save around 250 crore litres of fuel per year.
Q4. How many more plazas are planned under the MLFF expansion?
Ans. NHAI has invited bids for 104 additional plazas across seven states, which would bring the total MLFF network to 121 sites once combined with existing operational and awarded plazas.