FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hrman

Anyone who has travelled from Bangalore to Chennai? Have all tolls been made hybrid on the route? I plan to drive down this weekend, any indicators will help.

Hope these posts help you.

Jan 2nd (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

Dec 27th (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

Dec 21st (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

[hrman]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Hope these posts help you.

Jan 2nd (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

Dec 27th (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

Dec 21st (FASTag: All you need to know about procuring & using it!)

Thanks Parag. I also wanted to know in case all lanes at tolls allow fastag on the Bangalore to Chennai route and if yes, which tolls.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by hrman

Thanks Parag. I also wanted to know in case all lanes at tolls allow fastag on the Bangalore to Chennai route

For Bangalore-Madras here's the scenario:

Attibele: This has only dedicated lane and entering it entirely depends on your karma. I've crossed this place about 6-7 times since October and have managed only once to get to the Fastag lane, and this was at 420 am.

Krishnagiri: Dedicated lane again, but much better situation than Attibele. I have a 50%+ success rate in entering the lane. Once a truck brokedown on this dedicated lane and they hand scanned on the next lane.

Vaniyambadi and Pallikonda: Dedicated lanes, manned and not much rush most of the times. These are piece of cake. One of these is hand scanner, forgot which one.

Chennasamudram: Disorganized. Cash vehicles also enter. I saw the next lane marked with ETC lane, but didn't spot the sign it till I entered the lane.

Nemili - Lane 1 is marked Fastag Lane 2-4 are marked as ETC lane. Like Chennasamudram, this also doesnt maintain the dedicated lane. I have gone through lane 2 once in October and it scanned automatically.

[nijelj]

Originally Posted by narayans80

For Bangalore-Madras here's the scenario:

Attibele: This has only dedicated lane

An update,I had passed attibele (towards Bangalore) on 31st Dec 2017 and they had fast tag working in all lanes. I know because I had entered the lane, 3 lanes away from the fastag lane

[patron]

I was going to Goa for New Year and after hearing all the stories of the long queues, decided to get a fastag. I applied for PayTM Fastag and received it in 8 days. I chose PayTM for the convenience of using the wallet balance.

All the tolls along the NH48 had heavy traffic as anticipated being the new year weekend. But the tag worked flawlessly in all the tolls. I must easily saved an hour each way.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by nijelj

An update,I had passed attibele (towards Bangalore) on 31st Dec 2017 and they had fast tag working in all lanes. I know because I had entered the lane, 3 lanes away from the fastag lane

Thanks I passed on 30th December and was on the very next lane (Bangalore-Krishnagiri direction). It didn't detect at the cash window. I didn't go all the way till the boom barrier and test the tag though. This was at 1130pm and I was half dead from a 12 hour journey at that point.

I didn't have any trouble scanning at JAS, Nelamangala and NBTL on the same jouney (which were 1-2 hours before).

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I didn't have any trouble scanning at JAS, Nelamangala and NBTL on the same jouney (which were 1-2 hours before).

I paid cash at Nelamangala because the queue at 0430am was easily 500 meters and getting to FASTag lane was impossible.

Also, they let you go for free sometimes here if you have a tag and they realise that rush was the reason. Attibele as usual is pain and as you said even I have struggled to get into the lane during my last few drives this side.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I paid cash at Nelamangala because the queue at 0430am was easily 500 meters and getting to FASTag lane was impossible.

With Nelamangala on the onward (at 510am on 22nd) I was plain lucky to get into the Fastag lane, despite a 15 minute jam ahead. It was when I observed inbound traffic were also let through to use one lane of outbound traffic 1/2 km from Nelamangala. It did auto-scan.

On my return (should be around 1000 pm change on 30th) there were just 2 vehicles ahead, again auto scanning worked.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by narayans80

With Nelamangala on the onward (at 510am on 22nd) I was plain lucky to get into the Fastag lane, despite a 15 minute jam ahead.

Yes, in general that is an observation I have noticed too. City bound booths get clogged badly at peak times. Evening for cars and early morning for trucks and buses and exactly when I was stuck.

[itwasntme]

I look forward to MoRTH doing away with these ridiculous booths and moving to pay-as-you-go gantry-based tolling at least for major highways.

It would be equitable and the right way to go about it in a developing country like ours.

[Jude300]

I got the SBI FASTAG along with my new car and yesterday was my first chance to use it. The Vanagaram (Porur) toll plaza in Chennai does not have any dedicated leave or scanners installed. However, they have the hand held scanner and I could pass through without paying cash. I returned through the same toll booth in 4 hours at around 8 in the evening and the same hand held device was used.

Got the SMS only at 1:35AM and I have not been charged for return fare but for 2 single trips. I tried calling the toll free number and it disconnects within a few seconds in to the call.

Anyone who has used SBI FASTAG, could you please let me know if we need to specifically mention is a return pass that we need when it is scanned manually? I thought the system automatically deducts based on time.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Jude300

Got the SMS only at 1:35AM and I have not been charged for return fare but for 2 single trips... I thought the system automatically deducts based on time.

The system charges one way toll on your first trip, and then the difference amount for a return/daily trip on your return/subsequent trip. However, some toll booths do not have this set up properly and the FASTag is charged for a single trip in either case.

The Vaigundam toll booth on the NH544 after Salem bypass towards Erode had their reconciliation system from SBI and the toll booth used to charge the toll for other classes of vehicles than what the tag is supposed to be charged. JFYI

[sramven]

Been on a trip from Chennai to rajapalayam. Got the SBI fasttag came with my new car. The first two tolls from Chennai do not have fasttag yet. All others had it. In none of the place the tag was automatically detected, each time the manual scanner had to be used. Is this something specific to SBI fasttag? Should I call and check for activation or do something else? Or are these toll plazas have bad infra? I could not check if this was a problem with infra because each time only I was there in the lane during the entire two way trip in each toll

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by sramven

The first two tolls from Chennai do not have fasttag yet.

They (Paranur, Athur) will never have. The 62 km stretch from Irumbuliyur to Mamandur (Pepsi factory/Andal Alagar Engineering College) has been 4-laned in 1991-92. The toll was in Mamandur ever since the section completed.

At the very least, Paranur toll should not even exist collecting money for what's like the 26th year.

[haldar_siliguri]

I have a query regarding installation of the FASTag. Since I have a Dashcam fixed just behind the upper centre of the windshield, which I don't intend on moving, can I affix the Fastag slightly to the left or right?