MLFF toll plazas, the barrier-free gantries that let cars pass at highway speed, are letting a growing number of vehicles through without paying, and the road transport ministry is now weighing tougher action. The Indian Express reported on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, that at least one in 10 vehicles crossing the Shahjahanpur plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur stretch of NH-48 was logged as “unidentified” and paid no toll.
A penalty above twice the toll and a police FIR are among the options, with a decision expected within a month. For honest drivers, the useful question is what the system expects from your FASTag and number plate today.
What is happening at MLFF toll plazas?
Multi-Lane Free Flow, or MLFF, removes the boom barrier. Overhead gantries carry automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and FASTag readers, and the toll is deducted only when the tag and its linked number plate match. NHAI switched on India’s first such plaza at Choryasi near Surat in May. Seven are live now.
The Indian Express figures, which Amar Ujala also carried on 10 November, show the gaps. Manoharpura on NH-48 recorded more than 99,500 unidentified vehicles out of 31.74 lakh between 1 July and 21 October. Shahjahanpur recorded 2.60 lakh out of about 24 lakh between 1 August and 21 October. Mundka-Bakkarwala on Delhi’s UER-II was at about 2%, and Paranur in Tamil Nadu logged more than 500 in its first 20 days.
| Key facts | MLFF toll, as of 11 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| What it is | Barrier-free tolling with ANPR cameras and FASTag readers on gantries |
| Live plazas | 7 (Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan x3, Tamil Nadu) |
| Contracts awarded | 10 more plazas |
| Bids invited | 104 more plazas |
| Rollout goal | All four-lane-plus national highways by March 2029 (Economic Survey 2025-26) |
| e-Notice payment window | 72 hours at the normal toll; twice the toll after that |
| Proposed for unidentified vehicles | Penalty above twice the toll, FIR (under discussion) |
How does a vehicle become “unidentified”?
According to the ministry source quoted by The Indian Express, a vehicle is unidentified when its number plate and FASTag are covered or cannot be seen, or when the plate is fake or copied from another vehicle. That is different from a FASTag with low balance. A low-balance or inactive tag still identifies the car, so the system issues an electronic notice instead.
The source drew a sharp line: “Impersonating a number plate is a serious crime, not a normal toll violation.” Officials fear such vehicles could be used for smuggling, illegal sand mining or GST evasion, since e-way bills are linked to FASTag.
How big is the problem at each MLFF toll plaza?
We divided the reported counts by the days each plaza had been live up to 21 October. The results are our calculations from the published totals, not official daily figures.
| Plaza (route) | MLFF live from | Days to 21 Oct | Vehicles | Unidentified | Share | Unidentified per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manoharpura (NH-48, Rajasthan) | 1 July | 113 | 31.74 lakh | 99,500-plus | 3.1% | About 880 |
| Shahjahanpur (NH-48, Rajasthan) | 1 August | 82 | About 24 lakh | 2.60 lakh | 10.8% | About 3,170 |
| Mundka-Bakkarwala (UER-II, Delhi) | 11 May | Not given | Not given | Not given | About 2% | Not calculable |
| Paranur (NH-45, Tamil Nadu) | 1 October | 20 (reported window) | Not given | 500-plus | Not given | About 25 |
Manoharpura and Shahjahanpur carry almost the same daily traffic, roughly 28,000 to 29,000 vehicles, yet the unidentified rate at Shahjahanpur is about three and a half times higher. Together the two plazas logged nearly 3.6 lakh unidentified passages in under four months. Neither report explains the gap.
Daulatpura, Manoharpura and Shahjahanpur are all barrier-free, so an unidentified vehicle can drive the whole Gurugram-Jaipur stretch without paying.
What happens if your FASTag fails at an MLFF toll?
This rule is already in force. NHAI’s release on the Gharaunda rollout of 25 June sets out the e-Notice process. If a toll fails because of low balance, an inactive tag or a tag problem, you get an e-Notice. You can find it on the nhfeenotice.parivahan.gov.in portal by entering your registration number and an OTP sent to the mobile number in the VAHAN database. It also shows up in the Rajmargyatra app.
Pay within 72 hours and you pay the normal toll. After 72 hours it is charged at twice the rate for your vehicle class. If you think a notice is wrong, you can file a grievance on the same portal within 72 hours. NHAI’s May release on Choryasi added that unpaid notices may lead to the FASTag being blacklisted and other vehicle services being restricted through VAHAN.
An illustration with a made-up Rs 150 toll: pay in time and it costs Rs 150; miss the window and it costs Rs 300. The proposed penalty for unidentified vehicles would go higher still.
What penalty is the Centre considering?
The Indian Express says a penalty of more than twice the toll and an FIR are among the measures under discussion, with a decision expected within a month. Nothing has been notified yet.
The ministry is also building an internal portal to flag such vehicles. Because MLFF is being rolled out in a staggered way, a car that slips through a barrier-free plaza may still be logged at a boom-barrier plaza nearby. Officials want to use AI to match the model and colour held in VAHAN with FASTag transactions there, within about a 10-minute window.
Where are the MLFF toll plazas in India?
These are the seven live plazas, with launch dates from NHAI and PIB announcements and contemporary reports.
| Plaza | Highway and state | MLFF start |
|---|---|---|
| Choryasi | NH-48, Gujarat | May (announced 2 May) |
| Mundka-Bakkarwala | UER-II, Delhi | 11 May |
| Daulatpura | NH-48, Rajasthan | 19 June |
| Gharaunda | NH-44, Haryana | 25 June |
| Manoharpura | NH-48, Rajasthan | 1 July |
| Shahjahanpur | NH-48, Rajasthan | 1 August |
| Paranur | NH-45, Tamil Nadu | 1 October |
Ten more are contracted, among them Boraich in Gujarat, three NH-44 plazas in Andhra Pradesh, Madanpur in Assam and Badarpur-Faridabad in Haryana.
What should drivers check before using an MLFF toll?
Keep enough FASTag balance before a highway trip, and make sure the tag is active and stuck on the windscreen, not loose on the dashboard. Keep your high security registration plate clean and uncovered; NHAI’s own advisory asks for clear, compliant HSRP plates. Check that the mobile number on your VAHAN record is current, because e-Notice OTPs go to it. It is the same record we suggested checking in our report on Delhi’s non-BS6 vehicle ban.
After a trip, check the e-Notice portal. MLFF is becoming another camera-based charge, much like the automated speed checks in our explainer on expressway speeding challans. Taxi and fleet operators, the buyers Toyota is chasing with the Innova Crysta Limo Edition, should make this check part of their daily routine.
Confirmed vs not confirmed (as of 11 November 2026)
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Seven MLFF plazas live | Confirmed (NHAI and PIB launch releases, Indian Express list) |
| e-Notice: 72 hours at normal toll, then twice | Confirmed (NHAI via PIB) |
| Unidentified counts at Manoharpura and Shahjahanpur | Reported by The Indian Express from ministry data |
| Penalty above twice the toll for unidentified vehicles | Under discussion, not notified |
| FIR for fake or covered plates | Under discussion |
| Decision date | Expected within a month (ministry source) |
| How a genuine camera misread will be handled | Not stated |
CarBike Insight Analysis
MLFF works on a simple deal: no barrier, so the system has to trust the tag and the plate. The Rajasthan figures show what happens when the plate cannot be trusted. A 10.8% gap at one plaza is not a rounding error, and with three back-to-back barrier-free plazas on the same corridor, the leak compounds.
Our view: a strong penalty for fake or deliberately hidden plates is fair, and an FIR fits plate cloning, which is already a crime. The risk sits with ordinary owners. The reported definition of “unidentified” includes plates that simply cannot be seen, and the ministry has not said publicly how it will separate a dusty plate from deliberate evasion. Any final rule should include a notice and a grievance window like the e-Notice system’s. Until then, a clean plate and a funded, properly fixed FASTag are the best protection.
NHAI’s full e-Notice rules are in the PIB release on MLFF tolling at Gharaunda.
FAQ
What is an MLFF toll?
MLFF means Multi-Lane Free Flow: a toll plaza with no boom barrier, where overhead cameras and FASTag readers charge vehicles as they pass at normal speed.
What happens if my FASTag has low balance at an MLFF toll?
You receive an e-Notice. Paying within 72 hours costs the normal toll. After 72 hours, NHAI charges twice the toll, and unpaid notices can lead to FASTag blacklisting.
How do I check an MLFF e-Notice?
Use the nhfeenotice.parivahan.gov.in portal with your registration number and an OTP sent to your VAHAN-registered mobile number. Notices also appear in the Rajmargyatra app.
What is an unidentified vehicle at an MLFF toll plaza?
It is a vehicle whose plate and FASTag are covered or unreadable, or whose plate is fake or copied. The system cannot match it to an owner, so no toll is collected.
Is the new penalty for unidentified vehicles in force?
No. A penalty above twice the toll and an FIR are under discussion. The Indian Express reported a decision is expected within a month of 10 November 2026.
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