Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Mar 13: FASTag system is already implemented in order to avoid rush and delay at toll plazas from February 15 of this year. It was also said that the minimum balance is not required to be maintained in a FASTag account. However, this order has not reached the toll plazas.

Banks that provided FASTag accounts specified an amount of Rs 200 as deposit amount along with the wallet amount. Most of the vehicle owners think that they have the required balance in their wallet and go through the tollgates. However, if there is no minimum balance, the system at the tollgates does not read the FASTag at all. This causes friction between tollgate personnel and vehicle owners.

According to the order passed by the ministry of highways of the union government, if the balance was zero in the FASTag account when the vehicle has passed through the tollgate, the same can be deducted from the deposit amount that the banks are having with them. But as this order has not reached the toll gates, they are charging double the rate to the hapless vehicle owners and drivers.

Though the vehicle drivers and owners say that the National Highways Authority of India has brought new rule with regards to minimum balance, the tollgate personnel do not listen to the commuters. A tollgate personnel said that they have read about removal of minimum balance on FASTag cards by NHAI. However, the system does not read the FASTag if minimum balance is not there. So we charge double the amount.

Neither the district administration nor the NHAI is bothered about the inconvenience faced by the general public while passing through the toll gates as there is no clear cut clarification on the minimum balance rule on FASTag. NHAI should take the lead and resolve this matter immediately.