NHAI introduces barrierless tolling at Paranur in Tamil Nadu
The National Highways Authority of India has introduced a Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system at Paranur toll plaza on the Tambaram–Tindivanam section, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced on October 1, 2026.
The ministry described it as Tamil Nadu’s first installation of the system. It combines Automatic Number Plate Recognition with FASTag-based electronic toll collection to allow vehicles to pass through without stopping at a barrier.
Motorists must keep their FASTags functional and maintain sufficient balance to avoid an electronic notice, the ministry said. Barrierless passage does not mean toll-free travel.
The ministry said the technology is intended to reduce congestion, manual intervention and travel delays. However, the announcement did not provide measurements of time savings, fuel savings or congestion reduction at Paranur.
NHAI is introducing MLFF tolling in phases across national highways. The release identified existing installations in Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Haryana.
