FASTag malfunctions on toll plazas, say commuters forced to pay cash

Chennai

Motorists using the East Coast Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR) have been complaining of being forced to pay cash for toll fee due to glitches in the FASTag network post Nivar.

According to commuters, toll operators are insisting that motorists pay cash for user fee even if they have frequency-based FASTag affixed on the vehicles, citing non-functional FASTag RFID readers.

Divakar, a resident of Kotturpuram, said that the staff at the toll plazas are illegally collecting user fees via cash when they are supposed to let vehicles with valid FASTags ply through without being charged. “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, earlier this year, allowed vehicles with valid FASTag to pass without collecting user fee if the fault lies with the plaza end,” he noted.

Christine Ida, an IT employee, tweeted, “It’s been five days since Cyclone Nivar and these people are still lying that they won’t accept #FASTag because of the cyclone. Such a shame to #DigitalIndia! Handling cash during a pandemic is a huge risk. Common people have to load up their FASTag account and still pay cash as well.” A senior Tamil Nadu Road Development Company official denied any such illegalities and said, “National Highways norms won’t be applicable for the TNRDC toll plazas which come under the State Highways Department. The people have to bear with us for two more days. We have already started work on rebuilding two towers at Medavakkam and Navallur which had collapsed under heavy winds,” the officials said.