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

[kaushikkrishnan]

It was a good experience procuring FAStag for my car

Took a total of 6 days. I had called the ICICI fastag number to register for a fastag and they sent a person who affixed the tag and collected the documents and the cheque.

The Tag got activated in 5 days.

TamilNadu toll booths will need to respect FASTag lanes and provide the dedicated lanes so that there are more adopters.

Chennai - Trichi and Chennai - Bangalore is a nightmare during the peak hours, its a race between one toll booth and the next only to wait for 10-15 mins.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by kaushikkrishnan

TamilNadu toll booths will need to respect FASTag lanes and provide the dedicated lanes so that there are more adopters.

Chennai - Trichi and Chennai - Bangalore is a nightmare during the peak hours, its a race between one toll booth and the next only to wait for 10-15 mins.

I did Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Vellore on 26th Feb.
I did Vellore - Chittoor - Bangalore on 28th Feb.
Fastag was accepted everywhere and I did not face any issues of tolls not working or dedicated lane not being available. I could be mistaken about dedicated lane but I am sure I did not pay any toll in cash.
The only time delay was at Krishnagiri toll as a multi axle truck had got into the fastag lane without a sticker and it was a nightmare for the security guard to divert him into the adjoining lane due to heavy traffic.

[smrtdvl]

Finally got a sms from ICICI that my fastag is activated. Since the fastag is with a family member who'll be arriving tomorrow morn from Chennai I'll be sticking it by myself to our XUV by sunday. Do I need to take any necessary precautions before sticking it to the car? One more thing I noticed when I logged into fastag account was there was no tag serial number assigned. Is it normal? Can I just load cash and start using it?

[J.Ravi]

From my latest drive from Chennai to Bangalore:



For more details, see here.

[prkiran]

A mixed bag for me in my first Fastagged drive from chennai to Trivandrum today. I had taken the regular NH45/NH7 route and on the NH45 between chennai and madurai, three booths accepted Fastag and the process was also smooth with properly guarded dedicated lane. The other two were too crowded and they opened fastag lane for everyone to control the queues. I just got onto the shortest line and paid in cash.

But none of the tollgates on the NH7 between Madurai and Nagercoil were accepting Fastag. They all had a dedicated lane which was barricaded and on enquiring said that the machine had gone faulty and they are waiting for replacement. The attendants at all the 4 (or 5) toll gates in the stretch gave me the same story. Curious to know if anyone had traveled in this stretch in the recent past and had a different experience.

[J.Ravi]

Here is my video recorded while passing through the toll plazas between Chennai and Bengaluru on 28/29 April 2017 night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE2E...layer_embedded

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by prkiran

But none of the tollgates on the NH7 between Madurai and Nagercoil were accepting Fastag. They all had a dedicated lane which was barricaded and on enquiring said that the machine had gone faulty and they are waiting for replacement. The attendants at all the 4 (or 5) toll gates in the stretch gave me the same story. Curious to know if anyone had traveled in this stretch in the recent past and had a different experience.

It used to work initially, but not working since last 5-6 months (approx). Yes, they told me once that all these equipments got damaged during a thunderstorm. Once they told me that there is some agreement issue between the NHAI and the contractor. So, not sure which one is true.

[RCD]

Originally Posted by kaushikkrishnan

Chennai - Trichi and Chennai - Bangalore is a nightmare during the peak hours, its a race between one toll booth and the next only to wait for 10-15 mins.

I am a fairly frequent highway user and have been watching the "Fast Tag" lanes since inception to decide when to go for it myself. So far have noticed that on NH4 ( Bangalore-Pune) except for 1-2 toll booths there is no process to keep vehicles without fast tag from entering the dedicated lane.

This ( along with the posts which mention that the reader is not always quick enough, or that the fast tag lane sometimes takes longer than the manual lanes) makes me hesitate.

I have a Bangalore-Hyderabad trip this month, and am planning another Bangalore-Ladakh trip in September.

Want to know if I should get one or not. I am only interested in saving time at the toll booths, and not so motivated by the money back, going cashless, paperless and other such considerations.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by RCD

Want to know if I should get one or not. I am only interested in saving time at the toll booths, and not so motivated by the money back, going cashless, paperless and other such considerations.

Go for it. Without doubt.
Use fastag lane if it is dedicated and devoid of queue.
Else use the fastest lane and pay cash.
Your total investment is only 200/-. The other 200/- is a refundable deposit.
You will realize the benefit of the tag halfway to Hyderabad itself.

[binand]

Originally Posted by RCD

I am only interested in saving time at the toll booths, and not so motivated by the money back, going cashless, paperless and other such considerations.

Here is my 4-month experience.

On average, I save around 10 minutes at toll booths. My drives nowadays are limited to Bangalore-Chennai and Bangalore-Kochi, and I have driven these drives both ways extensively at all times of the day and night, via multiple route combinations during the past 6 years I have been living in Bangalore; so my estimate I believe is fairly accurate.

On Bangalore-Chennai with 6 toll booths, the time savings sometimes adds up to an hour. In other words, in a Bangalore-Chennai trip that I often do in 6 hours non-stop door-to-door I save an hour attributable to Fastag.

Bangalore-Palakkad has 8 Fastag-enabled toll booths. The net saving on this stretch could be as much as 1.5 hours, on driving time of 7 hours.

The cashback is a pittance; it doesn't even cover the payment gateway charges for loading up the tag. If you want to go cashless many booths nowadays accept Paytm. None of these things matter.

Another consideration is the tracking that Fastag allows government agencies to do. I thought about this, but eventually came to conclusion that to track me, all they need to do is to look at my credit card trail.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by binand

The cashback is a pittance; it doesn't even cover the payment gateway charges for loading up the tag.

Another consideration is the tracking that Fastag allows government agencies to do. I thought about this, but eventually came to conclusion that to track me, all they need to do is to look at my credit card trail.

Using ICICI netbanking to load an ICICI issued fastag, the gateway charges are exactly 0.00. Cashback is a bonus.

Your mobile number allows the Government to track you much more accurately.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Else use the fastest lane and pay cash

Was driving back from Yediyur yesterday and at both the Nelamangala tolls the fastag lane was a free for all. A little irritated, I decided to find the shortest lane and then ask them to get the fastag machine to scan. I drive up to the toll in a non fasttag lane and point at the tag. Booth attendant just asks me to move on without any argument.

Again I am not averse to paying my dues but if I have paid for a convenience, I expect to use it and if NHAI cant get its act together at the tolls on weekends, then its their loss.

[condor]

Originally Posted by procrj

I drive up to the toll in a non fasttag lane and point at the tag. Booth attendant just asks me to move on without any argument.

Again I am not averse to paying my dues but if I have paid for a convenience, I expect to use it and if NHAI cant get its act together at the tolls on weekends, then its their loss.

The implementation is inconsistent in quite a few areas.

1) Fastag lanes are not dedicated to Fastag, even though there is a board at the entry point saying double toll if paying in cash in a fastag lane.

2) Not having enough hand-held devices

3) In stretches like Peenya to Nelamangala, most entry points do not have a scanner. So we either pay only 20 (entry fee, paid with Fastag) for a return trip - or end up paying a full 20 by cash when coming back. So, it's a hit or miss.
eg: I often go to a place near Himalaya Drugs Co. So I pay through Fastag @ the entry point near Parle factory. On the return, I have to enter near the NICE road intersection. This place does not have a scanner. So, sometimes I am let thru when I say Fastag. Other times they say I have to pay 20 in cash.)

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by binand

On Bangalore-Chennai with 6 toll booths, the time savings sometimes adds up to an hour. In other words, in a Bangalore-Chennai trip that I often do in 6 hours non-stop door-to-door I save an hour attributable to Fastag.

Drove Bangalore-Chennai over weekend, I had mixed experience with FasTag, though all 6 Toll booths had dedicated lane for FasTag, at 2 - 3 toll booths other vehicles especially trucks were allowed in the FastTag lane, especially the 2 toll booths before Chennai (Chennsamudram & Sriperumbadur). Both ways. Highly irritating to wait despite having the FasTag!

On the return in the evening, FasTag Lane at Krishnagiri & Attibelle toll were jam-packed with all vehicles, had to take the normal lane.

Is there any way to report this non-adherence to NHAI?

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by finneyp

Is there any way to report this non-adherence to NHAI?

Yes, Please see my post for details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post4187945

http://pgportal.gov.in/