Delhi's Toll-Free Flow Promise Meets a Race Against Winter Pollution
A Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official familiar with the project said a survey of nine major border points was carried out last week. However, construction and installation work can begin only after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) gives its approval.
By Sakshi
New Delhi, September 15 : The Supreme Court’s request for a barrier-free toll collection system for commercial vehicles at Delhi’s border entry points reportedly has not been implemented yet. It has raised concerns over increased vehicle emissions at toll plazas during Delhi’s annual winter pollution season, which is just a few weeks away.
The Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system is designed to allow vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping or slowing down. It uses overhead gantries fitted with RFID readers, sensors and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify vehicles and digitally collect toll charges.
Many Steps Still Pending Even After The Complete Survey
A Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official familiar with the project said a survey of nine major border points was carried out last week. However, construction and installation work can begin only after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) gives its approval, explained a report by the Hindustan Times Newspaper.
The project still requires several stages of work, including procuring and installing ANPR cameras, overhead gantries, power systems, high-speed networking and roadside sensors. Software integration and trial runs are also pending. The developments have raised questions over the MCD’s plan to complete the first phase by next month.
The civic body has maintained that MLFF technology will help ease queues at Delhi’s borders, reduce the time vehicles spend idling and contribute to lower emissions during winter.
Order from Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on December 17 last year directed the MCD to urgently examine the temporary closure or shifting of nine toll plazas after reports of long queues at Delhi’s borders amid worsening pollution.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the MCD to consider suspending toll collection, making it clear that financial considerations could not take precedence over public interest.
“Why can’t the officials say that till January, there will be no toll plaza?” the bench asked.
After the court’s intervention, the MCD told courts and agencies that its new toll collection contract would provide barrierless toll plazas at 20 major entry points by October, ahead of the winter pollution season. The remaining border points were scheduled to be covered by December 2026.
NHAI-linked toll plazas face time constraints
Officials, however, said completing the installation at the nine MCD toll plazas located on NHAI highways within a month to a month-and-a-half would be difficult, given the heavy traffic at these locations.
The nine toll plazas are located at Tikri Border, Singhu, Kapashera, Aya Nagar, Badarpur, Apsara-Shahdara, New Mandoli, Ghazipur and Rajokri.
Among these, Ghazipur handles a large number of vehicles entering Delhi from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand through the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
“Approval from NHAI is still pending for the implementation of the MLFF system at nine toll plazas, as told to the Supreme Court,” the senior MCD official said.
According to the official, the contract awarded to the toll collection agency allows six months for setting up the MLFF system. “Still, we remain hopeful of covering the nine major entry points before the winter season.”
The report also highlighted the challenges surrounding the implementation of the barrier-free tolling system and the timelines involved.
Busy roads could lead to more delays
Another official said installing infrastructure on this scale would require considerable time because the work has to be carried out alongside moving traffic on busy highways.
“Even if approval is granted this week, setting up the system could take at least three to four months on an expedited timeline. Given that Delhi’s air quality begins to deteriorate in October, traffic jams at toll plazas could contribute to increased pollution levels,” the official said.
The official also noted that NHAI had itself taken considerably longer to install MLFF systems on its roads.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an MLFF barrierless tolling system at the Mundka-Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on Delhi’s Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) on May 11, 2026.
