Motorists have been demanding that the December 1 deadline, when it will become mandatory for all vehicles to have FASTags, be extended.
“According to media reports, only about 30% vehicles that use national highways have such cards. If this is the case, the date must be extended and more publicity created. They should take it slowly, after enough trial is conducted. At some toll plazas, FASTags have not been publicised properly. The literature and pamphlets should mainly be in Tamil,” said T. Sadagopan, consumer activist.
“It seems for tourist vehicles, two-way toll cannot be deducted. Tourist vehicle operators are saying they cannot collect the amount from customers, since there will be no challan if they use FASTags,” he added.
More outlets
Anna Nagar resident N. Selvakumar said the number of point of sales is not many in Tamil Nadu.
“In other States, petrol bunks sell FASTags. Everything cannot be done using the online mode, especially by the senior citizens. The government could sell the tags at post offices too, which will increase the number of physical outlets,” he said.
D. Janakiraman, secretary, Tamil Nadu Edible Oil Tanker Lorry Owners’ Welfare Association, said they would urge the government to extend the deadline.
“Since card availability is an issue, with the sudden surge in demand, and only 30% of vehicles have the Tags, an extension of at least 15-20 more days will be helpful. Otherwise there will be utter chaos at toll plazas from December 1. It will delay transport vehicles,” he said.
