WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - The Kansas Turnpike Authority is switching to a cashless tolling system in July to make traveling safer and more convenient on Kansas interstates.

Driving on the turnpike you've probably seen some large blue signs that tell you about this. They read "Cashless Tolling Coming July 2024" but some people have reached out, confused about what this is and what it means exactly.

It's fairly simple. Right now when you come up to a toll you have two options, go through the K-TAG lane and pay with that account later or stop and pay at the toll booth before continuing. With this new system there will be no toll booth option.

Driver Jeanne Mitchell uses cash every time she comes up to a toll. She doesn't have a K-TAG and is worried what this means for her when the turnpike makes the switch.

"I don't quite understand why they want to limit the traffic to the turnpike."

KTA says switching to this system isn't going to stop anyone from using the turnpike. Instead of having toll booths there will be 21 overhead toll cameras that will scan your license plate. These will be placed in areas where the current toll booths are located. When drivers go under one they'll be charged and their bill will be sent to a new toll payment system called Drive Kansas.

K-TAG users will also be switched to this system and if you don't make an account where you can pay online your bill will be mailed to your house.

KTA says it is switching to this system for three main reasons: safety, customer convenience, and operational considerations. It also says 70% of drivers use K-TAG or some other similar service with more customers expected to sign on with more state-to-state agreements.

Other drivers like Chris Gerhardt are looking forward to this change.

"It's faster, it's easier. I don't want to wait in line at the turnpike and if it's cashless I can just zip on through," Gerhardt said when talking about why he thinks this will be a good thing. He also says he doesn't always have the cash on him and he imagines other people don't as well.

He travels a lot and says he sees other cities already using this. To him Kansas is just catching up to the times with this change.

"It's pretty much what they all do. You just drive through and it scans it and there's no reason to have to stop," he said.

For more information on cashless tolling and Drive Kansas click here.