The National Highways Authority of India announced on October 1 that barrier-free toll collection had started at Paranur on the Tambaram–Tindivanam highway section in Tamil Nadu. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways described it as the state’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow installation.
The system identifies vehicles through automatic number-plate recognition and collects toll electronically through FASTag. Drivers can pass the collection point without stopping at a physical barrier. This changes how payment is collected; it does not make the journey toll-free.
NHAI has asked road users to keep their FASTag functional and sufficiently funded to avoid an electronic notice. The Indian Express also reported that requirement in its October 1 account of the launch.
The authority says the system is intended to reduce queues, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. Those are the stated benefits, rather than independently measured Paranur results. The new installation follows earlier rollouts in Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Haryana as part of a phased national programme.