Barrierless Tolling to Go Live Soon, MLFF Trials Underway at Delhi’s Mundka Plaza

Why It Matters

MLFF promises to slash congestion, reduce fuel waste, and tighten toll‑revenue collection, directly lowering logistics costs for India’s growing freight sector. Its rapid rollout signals a shift toward digital infrastructure on national highways, boosting efficiency and transparency.

Key Takeaways

• Mundka plaza to launch barrierless tolling by mid‑May 2026.
• Gujarat’s Choryasi became India’s first live MLFF toll plaza on May 1.
• IHMCL awarded MLFF contracts at 17 plazas, seeking bids for 108 more.
• Economic Survey 2025‑26 targets nationwide MLFF on four‑lane highways by March 2029.
• MLFF aims to cut waiting time, fuel use, and logistics costs.

Pulse Analysis

Multi‑Lane Free Flow (MLFF) represents a leap forward in toll collection, leveraging FASTag RFID technology and high‑resolution vehicle‑number recognition to enable vehicles to travel at speed without stopping. By automating deductions, the system eliminates manual cash handling and reduces human error, aligning India’s highway network with global best practices seen in Europe and the United States. The seamless experience also opens avenues for real‑time traffic analytics, which can inform congestion‑management strategies and infrastructure planning.

The rollout gains momentum as Delhi’s Mundka toll plaza prepares to go live in mid‑May, following Gujarat’s Choryasi pilot that launched on May 1. IHMCL’s recent contracts cover 17 plazas across six states, and an aggressive tender for 108 additional sites underscores the government’s commitment to digitizing the nation’s roadways. While the technology promises efficiency, authorities are addressing challenges such as unreadable license plates and insufficient FASTag balances, deploying e‑notice mechanisms and penalties to ensure compliance.

For logistics operators, MLFF could translate into measurable cost savings by cutting idle time and fuel consumption at toll points, a critical factor as India’s freight volumes surge. Faster toll processing also improves corridor throughput, supporting the Economic Survey’s target of nationwide MLFF on four‑lane highways by 2029. As the system matures, it may pave the way for dynamic pricing, integrated toll‑road financing, and enhanced revenue assurance, positioning India’s highway ecosystem for a more connected, data‑driven future.