At the toll plaza at Kaniyur in Coimbatore district, nearly 30 % of the vehicles that pass through the toll collecting counters now use FASTag.
On an average, 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles passed through the toll plaza and 25 % of these were already using FASTag. In the last one month, another 5 % to 10 % had started using the electronic toll collection tag, said U. Udhayasankar, manager of National Highways Authority of India here .
The toll plaza has five plus five counters and at present six of these (three plus three) are used for vehicles with FASTag. From December 1, two more counters will also come under FASTag and two counters will be for manual toll collection.
In an effort to educate road users, announcements are made through loud speakers and boards are put up near the toll gate explaining the details of FASTag. Some of the banks also sell the tags at the toll gate. If there is a vehicle that does not have the tag or adequate money loaded online and tries to pass through the toll plaza, the automatic boom barrier will not open for the vehicle to pass by.
An official source added that people residing within 20 km of the toll plaza could produce their identity card and get a special card to use the toll gate. Regarding concessions that were available now, such as lower rate for up and down travel through the toll gate within 24 hours, the source said such vehicles could use the manual payment counter.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the government should extend the date for mandatory use of FASTag and it should advertise more on the procedures involved to get the tag. It was not right on the part of the government to collect ₹200 as initial deposit. “The FASTag is similar to a pre-paid card. So there is no point in collecting a deposit,” he said. Use of FASTag would certainly reduce the waiting time for vehicles at the toll plaza and the concessionaire would save on manpower. But customers should not be put to hardships, he added.
The nationalised banks did not seem to show interest in issuing FASTags. There were reports that one of the banks here had outsourced the job, was not issuing receipt, and was uploading only ₹100 when a FASTag was purchased. The government should streamline the system of issuing and recharging FASTags, he said.
Further, the system was not clear about concessions that were available now. The concession available for those who passed through the toll gate during the up and down journey within 24 hours should be extended for FASTags too. It would probably require only a modification in the software, he added.
