![]() | #5146 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
Posts: 4,317
Thanked: 10,115 Times
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Minimum balance is just to ensure that most of the tollbooths can be passed without your balance being insufficient. In your case, since the toll you pass through is 20 rupees, you will find the 100 rupee balance absurd. But if the same toll was 85-90 rupees, wouldnt that sound correct to have a 100 rupee balance? Unfortunately the Fastag system does not have the intelligence to understand what the typical usage conditions of individual customers are and then adopt varied minimum balance for different users. Last edited by audioholic : 9th August 2020 at 12:36. | |
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![]() | #5147 | |||
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 122
Thanked: 208 Times
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Regardless, the government regularly uses all sorts of seemingly 'minute' information about you and me, and it's extremely simple to manipulate it howsoever they desire. It may sound as if I have a tinfoil hat on my head, but I see it day-in and day-out while handling criminal matters in courts (am a lawyer). Quote:
Mandating a minimum balance, rather, is counter productive to the supposed goal "to ensure that most of the tollbooths can be passed without your balance being insufficient", because the moment it drops below the 'minimum' balance, it is insufficient, even if it is not actually insufficient. And that's where the issue lies. Last edited by N.A.GTC : 9th August 2020 at 16:27. | |||
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![]() | #5148 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Belur/Bangalore
Posts: 6,361
Thanked: 20,568 Times
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Having adequate funds in your account is not the key to pass a booth. The only thing that is checked at the booth is the tag status : Either Active or Blacklisted and you simply cannot pass the booth with the latter. Say you have 50 in your account. The booth you just passed has a toll of 40. The tag status active and you are allowed to pass the booth with 40 INR deducted only few minutes later when the ETC processes a payment request via NCPI. And now, your balance is 10, tag status still active, which means you will still pass the next booth even if the toll is 100 because the system doesn't check your balance. However, soon after this the tag balance goes to -90. Tag status is now blacklisted as balance is negative. You may wish to recharge or continue the rest of the journey paying cash which is totally OK. You hate this system and you decide never to recharge again. Few others may not want to recharge again as their next highway drive is months away. However, Banks of which your tag belong to sill have to honour request sent by each toll booth and they pay and assume they will recover from you when you next recharge. Now imagine tens of thousands of such motorists not recharging for months together with their balances still negative. Hey, I can have 10 as balance and cross the next expressway booth that has a amount of 210 and leave it to the bank to pay NHAI. Hence, having a decent threshold balance makes sense. One may still want to argue why banks can merry keeping this 100 from each tag holder but again, customers also have their share of fun by not recharging and remain complacent (if 0 was the threshold for being blacklisted). If we need reasons, we will somehow and surely try to find many and say why we hate this system but everything takes a back seat when you have that cashless (and most of the times, seamless) travel experience. I have been using Fastag since last 4 years and across most sections of our country and have mostly got positives to share. I have nothing to gain if I said that because I am sure many others too have had similar but experiences. Prepaid system works in many countries including a minimum balance criteria. Even Uber doesn't allow you to book a cab unless you have 350 in your Paytm(if paying via Paytm) while your trip costs just 150. | |
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![]() | #5149 |
BHPian Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 60
Thanked: 50 Times
| ![]() Just an update. ICICI Bank was not dispatching replacement tag to your home address in June / start of July and was asking people to go to the nearest NHAI Toll Booth where their agent would be present to give a replacement tag. Some kind of internal issue even though couriers were working. I couldn't do the same as the toll booth was quite far from my place. However checked again with them 15 days back and they have blacklisted my existing card and have duly sent a replacement card. The process is a little slow as they took 12 days to blacklist the existing tag. |
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![]() | #5150 | ||
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 122
Thanked: 208 Times
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![]() So from what I understand, the system at the toll booth cannot check the balance, and therefore cannot compare and decide whether to let you pass or not. Is there any particular reason for this? If the system can check whether the card is 'active' or not, why can it not check whether the card has 'x' amount or not as well? Also, if someone can help me with this as well, I'd be very grateful: Quote:
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![]() | #5151 |
Newbie Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 22
Thanked: 38 Times
| ![]() Hello all. This is my experience on usage of Paytm fastag: I did the MISTAKE of pasting the tag just behind the ceramic (mottled) layer in the top part of the windshield - in the center of my wagon-r Due to this: The operator in the toll plaza had to come out twice (out of the four times) I have been through a toll and then manually scan it. Once the manual scan too had issues. In addition, since they cannot see it clearly, the guys manning the toll direct the car toward the lane for cash payment. I wish, I had come across this document earlier: FASTag Installation Process.pdf Now I am ordering a replacement. Otherwise, no issues with delivery / deduction of balance etc that I faced in Paytm. |
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![]() | #5152 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Do we still get fastag on the spot at any of the toll plazas? I have an upcoming travel which I have to do in a relative's car. It doesn't have fastag. Looking to procure one on a very short notice. If anyone has any info, please share. ![]() |
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![]() | #5153 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 919
Thanked: 1,133 Times
| ![]() Yes Deetee, you do. I have seen ICICI banners selling Fastag aa lot of NHAI offices near the toll plazas. You should be able to buy one, activate it there and carry on. Please budget about 30 minutes for this. You'll need the RC, Photo ID (Aadhar ? ). |
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![]() | #5154 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Check Signature
Posts: 86
Thanked: 59 Times
| ![]() With FASTag being around for quite sometime now, I think I am a bit late in joining this discussion thread and actually getting a FASTag for myself. I haven't taken a FASTag for my car yet, blame it on my laziness and also on this pandemic that I haven't been on a road trip for quite some time now. Since, it is first time for me, Can members here suggest me which issuer/vendor should I go for? I have account in ICICI, HDFC and SBI if that helps in anyways! I went through Who is your preferred FASTag provider?, and see that ICICI Bank and PayTM are the preferred one, but I suppose there must be some old votes there in that poll and things might have changed. So seeking out suggestions here. ![]() |
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![]() | #5155 |
Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Location: MUMBAI
Posts: 16
Thanked: 12 Times
| ![]() I had ordered FASTag on 17th August from PayTM which was delivered today as promised. I am yet to install it on the car. The car is in my Dad's name but linked to my wallet. Initially i thought it wasn't allowed but i faced no issues. All in all a smooth process. |
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![]() | #5156 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() I need to purchase a fasttag from a pos today. Is this available at banks/airtel stores in the city? I plan to drive around today to get one for use tomorrow. Axis bank said they do not keep it in their banks and it is an online purchase only. Apart from the toll fasttag pos locations, is there any other option to get one instantly? |
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![]() | #5157 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
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![]() | #5158 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Thank you for the response. I did just this. In paytm if you go to fasttag, there is an option for 'Get Fasttag near you' and from there one can find nearby stores, call them to confirm if they have stock and collect from there. Easy and super convenient. Just picked up mine. |
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![]() | #5159 |
BHPian Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Jaipur/Mumbai
Posts: 168
Thanked: 334 Times
| ![]() I have ordered my Fastag from Airtel Thanks app on 14th August 2020 and the order status is still in ‘validating order’ stage. ![]() ![]() It has been two weeks since I have been travelling on the weekends on highways and every time I have to wait at the large queue. I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this kind of a delay from Airtel, where they are taking more than 2 weeks to process an order and Paytm, on the other hand, is issuing Fastag at nearby places, hand to hand. |
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![]() | #5160 |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bombay
Posts: 1,223
Thanked: 6,567 Times
| ![]() Felt good to use my HDFC Bank Fastag for the first time on any road other than the Sea Link. I got this tag just before lockdowns got announced - and used it for the first time in May when I went for a joyride (also battery charge ride) over the sea link. Was surprised to find that both the Airoli and Vashi toll nakas still don’t accept Fastag. However, on this weekend’s holiday trip, it worked at both Khalapur on the Expressway (₹203 till Lonavala) and at Kusgaon on NH48 (₹41). Driving through these toll booths without halting was a real pleasure. Hope this adoption continues and the days of having toll booths come to an end. |
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