CHENNAI: Even though rules say that vehicles that have sufficient balance in their FASTag account must be allowed to pass through toll gates free of cost in the case of failure of electronic payment system, motorists are being forced to make cash payments. With traffic piling up ahead of Pongal holidays, automatic toll collection systems developed a technical snag at Sriperumbudur, Paranur and Athur toll gates.
Both the scanners installed at the gates, and the hand-held devices were not functioning properly. As a result, motorists had to pay with cash. NHAI officials claimed ignorance of the matter. As per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) 2018, which was amended in June last year, if a vehicle, with a valid functional FASTag or any such device, with the sufficient balance, is not able to pay user fee owing to malfunctioning of Electronic Toll Collection infrastructure, the vehicle user shall be permitted to pass the toll gate without payment of user fee.
The order a copy of which available with ‘Express’ also directs NHAI to mandatorily issue zero transaction receipt to such vehicles. The vehicular passage at toll plazas turned chaotic after many motorists told their FASTag account was blacklisted because of non-maintenance of minimum balance of Rs 200. “As my Paytm account balance reduced to `195, I was told my FASTag account was blacklisted and asked to make double the payment. After I disputed, I was asked to make the cash payment,” said K Krishna Kumar of Tindivanam. K Rajesh of Perambur who has got over Rs 5000 balance in his FASTag account told to make cash payment after electronic payment developed glitches.
“My car neither recognized electronically by scanner nor by handheld device manually. Hence I was asked to make cash payment. The NHAI have migrated to e-payment without sufficient infrastructure. ” explained Rajesh.
Besides, pothole-ridden stretch between Koyambedu and Sriperumbudur and shrunken road width at Vanagaram due to ongoing patch up works has added to woes of motorists on Bengaluru bypass road. PT Mohan, Project Director, Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Kancheepuram, NHAI claimed that only blacklisted fastag accounts being asked to make the cash payment when they enter into the fastag lane and he was not aware of criteria under which vehicles are getting blacklisted. Regional officer (Chennai), Pawan Kumar could not be reached for comments.