[binand]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

However, this is not true anymore and now a new car can be registered without Fastag I am told. Any idea if this is true?

Don't think so. They are betting big-time on Fastags. Saw recently that soon we'll be able to pay for parking, fuel etc. through them. There was also a mention that Fastags will be mandatory for older vehicles too.

[pdma]

Originally Posted by emkay.india

Has anyone faced any similar instance?

Yes,
I had an instance where the tag on my car was read for a truck which was tailgating me. I only realized the additional deduction a day later when I received a text message.
I raised a complaint with ICICI on the portal, they called me on the same day and asked me to upload the picture of the car along with the RC copy, which I did.
I guess in a week or 10 days the amount was promptly refunded.

Regards,
Pradeep.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by pdma

I had an instance where the tag on my car was read for a truck which was tailgating me.

Interesting occurrence there I must say!

I was under the impression that the validation at the toll booth does not happen for the type of vehicle because the tag affixed would have got categorized as Car/Jeep/Van or LCV or HCV or Multi-Axle when you buy and register the tag account. So when you pass the booth with a Valid tag, the NPCI payment deducts the amount appropriately based on the vehicle category.

This is the reason why when you pass at some booths the display sign shows 'Valid Tag - Car/Jeep/Van'.

[BenjiRoss]

Fastag seems to be just adding to the general stress when driving these days.
1. Locating the dedicated fastag lane. Sometimes it is lane 1 sometimes it is lane 4. Usually this is clearly marked. This is an issue especially when hybrid lanes are not there and the toll is very crowded.
2. Entering the fastag dedicated lane in crowded tolls is tough eg. Attibelle. Hybrid lanes sorts this out to an extent.
3. Will the fastag sensor work? This is the biggest stressor. I have recently done the Chennai Bangalore section multiple times and have reversed or been forced to wait for long time unable to change lanes when the sensor doesn't pick up the tag for vehicles with fastag. The toll booth operators just shrug and say that's how it is.
4. Trucks clog the lane and each truck takes a loooong time to go through. Much longer than manually paying and getting change and the receipt. Is this a truck specific problem? Also as a few people have mentioned, I have to completely stop and wait for a few seconds even on the best of days for the gate to open.
5. Refusal to use handscanner. I literally had to beg the guy at Chennasamudram toll to use it when fastag lane was giving major problems. "You have a fastag, you use the lane given to you even if it takes a lot of time. This (fastag) is not our job"
6. Painstakingly checking accounts for double charges and return trip charge. I'm presently stuck with a return charge that Paytm is "working on" for 2 weeks.
All toll booths show as red on Google maps. On new routes I know exactly where the toll booths are!! Fastag and toll booths are engineered to work smoothly only in very low traffic flow. Anything more and they malfunction. Forget about holiday and peak traffic. Even when the traffic is low, toll booths are congested. At times when there is absolutely sparse traffic between tolls, the toll still is red and causes a delay.
They should implement free passage when waiting traffic exceeds a certain level.
The fastag sensors and gadgets need a major servicing so they function well.
These observations are based on about 25 toll booth passages in the last 2 weeks mainly on the Chennai Bangalore section.

[pdma]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Interesting occurrence there I must say!

This is the reason why when you pass at some booths the display sign shows 'Valid Tag - Car/Jeep/Van'.

Right,

But it did happen as you can see here in the attached picture :-).

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

Fastag seems to be just adding to the general stress when driving these days.

I personally liked every time (numerous occasions) I used the FasTag, and its almost 3 years now that I have been using the service.
While I agree there are some issues which need to be sorted out, it does save time in most instances and also NHAI should start charging people "double" when they enter the lane without the tag. They have already put up the needed warning signs everywhere and its time they implement it seriously.

Regards,
Pradeep.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by pdma

.
.. and also NHAI should start charging people "double" when they enter the lane without the tag. They have already put up the needed warning signs everywhere and its time they implement it seriously.

Regards,
Pradeep.

Yes agree wholeheartedly.

My first experience with Fastag was mostly positive during my drive to my hometown in Kerala from Bangalore and back.

Some tolls Lanes have not fastag people enter the fastag Lane specially in Kerala.
In TN, mostly the lanes were manned and they opened only to people with tags. Near to Bangalore however due to traffic volume it was a mess.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

What is OLRT?

Online Realtime :-). What I meant to say is that the FASTag server-side application needs to make available to every client-side machine (handheld or fixed scanner), the entire FASTag database in real time.

THAT is what is possibly slowing down the response times coupled with connectivity lag at the tollbooth locations themselves.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by pdma

I had an instance where the tag on my car was read for a truck which was tailgating me. I only realized the additional deduction a day later when I received a text message.

Similar to what you experienced, caused by a technical glitch:

Originally Posted by silversteed

The Fastag setup at Vaikundam toll booth on NH544 between Salem and Coimbatore is behaving erratically

Originally Posted by silversteed

It's been over 10 days since the first incorrect debit happened...

Originally Posted by silversteed

After digging into the NHAI and IHMCL websites, I was able to find a couple of numbers where the gentlemen directed me to a different mobile number and finally to some E-mail addresses. Have written to them...

Originally Posted by silversteed

Since nothing has happened after all these many days, I ended up posting a grievance at the PG Portal.

Originally Posted by silversteed

Finally, the incorrectly debited amounts have been credited to the Tag account...

[rangan]

Do not back up and enter other lanes. Be adamant and say the tag has worked on many tolls all over and the toll operators let you go through.

Also, I say that i dont have cash and they end up letting us through when readers dont work.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rangan

Do not back up and enter other lanes. Be adamant and say the tag has worked on many tolls all over and the toll operators let you go through.

Also, I say that i dont have cash and they end up letting us through when readers dont work.

Doesn't work all the times and you may have to back-up too. You cannot teach the basic rules of FASTag to the people manning it. Always remember that at the toll booth getting into argument means inviting unnecessary attention and then the whole staff will group up.

Rarely you get a chance where things work the way you want, at the toll booths.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by rangan

Also, I say that i dont have cash and they end up letting us through when readers dont work.

Most places fastag doesn't work because they want to fudge number of cars / vehicles coming through. Say that you want to pay via card / cc or paytm and see the fastag work magically.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Doesn't work all the times and you may have to back-up too. You cannot teach the basic rules of FASTag to the people manning it. Always remember that at the toll booth getting into argument means inviting unnecessary attention and then the whole staff will group up.

Especially when you are in an out of state reg car, people are just waiting for a chance to gang up on you. There was only one instance when we really needed fastag to work when post demonitisation we went on an urgent trip and didn't have any cash with us. Fortunately the chap at the Kini toll was ready with a card machine and didn't make a fuss about it.

Rarely you get a chance where things work the way you want, at the toll booths.

+1. There is no point spoiling one's trip just because of some toll booth chap. Best to move on as there are better things to do in life than sit and argue at a toll plaza. The sooner one learns this better it is. It took me a while to reach this stage but now I never get pissed off at toll booths like earlier.

[HKP]

This is a bit weird. I got a new FASTag from HDFC. It looks like this after applying on the windscreen



I don't see any magnetic tape or anything on the front side. Googled for FASTag pics, there seem to be many different types. Yet to try this on the highway, but do you guys think this is a faulty one?


\\hkp

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by HKP

This is a bit weird. I got a new FASTag from HDFC. It looks like this after applying on the windscreen

Can you post a pic of the other side as well?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by HKP

This is a bit weird. I got a new FASTag from HDFC. It looks like this after applying on the windscreen

I don't see any magnetic tape or anything on the front side. Googled for FASTag pics, there seem to be many different types. Yet to try this on the highway, but do you guys think this is a faulty one?

I had explained this a few pages earlier. The antenna is situated on a separate layer while the white background along with the printed logos are on a different layer. When you pulled out the backing film, I think the antenna layer got stuck on the backing paper while only the background white layer came out to your hand. If you still have the backing paper, find it and you will see the antenna there. Else its time for a new tag

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by HKP

do you guys think this is a faulty one?
\\hkp

Either you peeled apart the transponder along with the backing paper or the transponder was missed in the manufacturing of the tag itself. if it's the former, use the transponder; if it's the latter, get the tag replaced