State Transport dept explores e-detection system for toll plazas

Kolkata: The West Bengal State Transport department is considering the introduction of an electronic detection system across toll plazas and parking sites on national highways to monitor vehicle compliance with various regulations.

The initiative aims to identify vehicles that violate regulations related to permits, fitness, insurance, pollution under control certificates, taxation and outstanding challans.

The e-detection system, called the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC), was developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The application monitors and analyses vehicular movement at toll and fee plazas using the VAHAN database, helping to track and identify vehicles that violate provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The system automatically issues challans to those found in breach of regulations.

Saumitra Mohan, secretary of the state Transport department, submitted a proposal to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in September last year. Sources within the department have confirmed that the proposal has been approved.

“The NETC system has already been successfully implemented in several states. We are now exploring its application in West Bengal. Preliminary groundwork is underway and several stages must be completed before full implementation. We will conduct trials.If successful, we will seek formal approval from the state government for implementation,” an official from the department stated.

States such as Gujarat, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha have already rolled out the NETC system, which provides a seamless and interoperable toll payment solution across the country.

The system offers a unified set of processes, business rules and technical specifications, allowing customers to use their NETC FASTag at any toll plaza, regardless of the toll operator.