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

Quote:

Originally Posted by daretodream (Post 4204259)

Hello Folks
I am going to embark on first trip after getting fast tag tomorrow (25th May, Thursday)
I am driving from HSR, Bangalore to Pudukottai (via Trichy).
Will start between 2-3PM.

Coming back on Sunday - with morning start around 8-9AM

Need inputs on tolls until Trichy:

How many tolls and which lanes (left or right) at these tolls.
Fast Tag acceptance in these tolls
Position of Fast Tags gates(extreme left or extreme right)

Any tips/hacks being a fast tag user would also help.

I will post my experience after the trip

This may not be accurate, but will help you for sure,

Towards Salem:

Attibele - Keep towards left, its 2nd from left
Krishnagiri - Keep towards right, I think its 2nd from right
Thoppur - Keep towards left, I think its 2nd from left
Omalur - Middle

I am not sure about Salem - Trichy

Towards Bangalore:

Omalur - I think its middle or towards right
Thoppur - Keep towards left, I think its 2nd from left
Krishnagiri - Middle or little towards left
Attibele - Keep towards left, its 2nd from left

Quote:

Originally Posted by tilt (Post 4193375)

*SNIP*

Cut to today - at the Hoskote toll this morning, I was scanned twice within a span of three seconds, and charged twice! Had to raise a complaint with proof in the form of a printed statement from their website of my activity. They said they would refund the second charge.*SNIP*

Well, I raised a complaint on 5th May and there has been no response until today.

And today, the exact same thing happened again, at the exact same toll plaza. Scanned twice within a span of three seconds and charged twice.

I am sure there's something going on at that plaza. I hope they're not beta-testing a new scam ;)

I raised another complaint on the Fastag website.

On May 5th I was also able to call the toll-free number and speak with someone about the double-dip. Today I tried calling the toll-free number again, and it says the number does not exist.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tilt (Post 4204865)

Did you check your statement for any reversal? Sometime back ICICI sent a mail saying this,

Quote:

For toll plazas acquired by ICICI Bank only, if multiple transaction occur on Tag on a particular toll plaza within 15 minutes, only the first transaction will be considered. Similarly, if multiple transactions occur on a particular with 5 minutes in the opposite direction, only the first transaction will be considered. For toll plazas acquired by other banks or institutes, the Tag Account will get debited & a reversed automatically.
This ensure your tags are not debited multiple times at a particular toll plaza.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smnrock (Post 4205014)

Did you check your statement for any reversal? Sometime back ICICI sent a mail saying this,

Thanks. Yes, I too remember the notification you mention. I do not remember though, if it comes into effect immediately or only from June 1, 2017.

And yes, I checked my statement, even today - no reversal.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tilt (Post 4204865)

And today, the exact same thing happened again, at the exact same toll plaza. Scanned twice within a span of three seconds and charged twice.

I am a regular at the Hoskote Toll Booth. In fact, I passed this toll yesterday at 7:10AM going towards work from my village. I have never faced this problem though. Although yesterday, ie 25/05 the gate was left open and I am not charged till now. Maybe you were double charged because of that. :D In fact, I went to Kolar on 24th and there was this idiot on a Fuel tanker who passed the Fastag lane ahead of me and stopped to chat with some attender at the end of the lane. I couldnt move ahead and was stuck right below the antenna for almost 20 seconds. Yet I was not charged twice which I feared.

Here is my list of passes at Hoskote:

Surprisingly, my registration number is never displayed on the LED Board and just appears as 'Successful XXXXXXXXXX'. I get charged at the end of the day, somewhere at 2300hrs or later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioholic (Post 4205642)

I am a regular at the Hoskote Toll Booth. In fact. I have never faced this problem though. Although yesterday, ie 25/05 the gate was left open and I am not charged till now. Maybe you were double charged because of that.

Funny, that till date, since May 2016, my fastag has never been debited toll at Hoskote ever. I have used it towards the city around 4 or 5 times till date. The tag dosen't get read and booth operator waves me on. I have never used the toll going away from the city so no idea about that side.

A group of colleagues and I were traveling to Nandyal from Hyderabad this weekend to attend a wedding. We had to pass three paid toll plazas, barring one(Raikal Toll Plaza), we had a wonderful FASTag experience. The Sakapur and Pullur Toll plazas were automated and the lanes were blocked manually until the guards could see the FASTag id on the car. So, while two other cars belonging to my other colleagues had to wait in queue of 5-8 vehicles at each of these plazas, we could just move on. Now, the others are looking at getting FASTag-ged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arun_josie (Post 4204367)

This may not be accurate, but will help you for sure,

Towards Salem:

Folks every fastag lane is clearly marked and at least 1..2 km away there is a sign saying "fastag lane 3, keep left" or something of the sort.

Just reading that road sign - and seeing the bright orange "ETC" in the toll gate from a good distance away (certainly well before you need to get into the toll lines) should be enough.

My first drive with AXIS FASTag was eventful.
At Talegaon Toll on Expressway heading towards Lonavala, I stuck to the ETC lane (thought all lanes have ETC readers).
Waited a good 20 feet before the toll booth waiting for the earlier car to pay cash and move on (yes ETC lane is used by everyone)
Got honked like crazy from the car behind who thought I was an idiot to wait with a 20 feet gap ! I am sure he has no idea about FASTag
Slowly crawled to the booth, the screen said "Invalid Tag".
There was a toll attendant standing outside the cashiers window. This is how the conversation went

Me: Scan using hand held device
Him: Give me your tag number
Me: Its a long number, I will get down, you sit in the drivers seat and get what ever number you want.
Him: Show me the SMS abt Tag registration
Me: I have reset the phone recently, don't have the old SMSes (and this is the truth). Come in and get whatever number you want
By this time I had blocked the lane for 10-15 secs
Him: Jau de re.. jau de (Let him pass.. let him pass)
The cashier opened the boom bar and I was let go.

On the return leg again at the same toll. Followed the same process of waiting 20 feet before the reader and slowly driving to toll booth. Here as I approached the booth, pointed towards the tag and he just let me go!

I didn't get any SMS and my Wallet has not been deducted.

Now, AXIS says my tag is active! I am confused!

Anyone used FASTag on MPEW this weekend? did you tags get scanned?

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedom (Post 4207421)

Anyone used FASTag on MPEW this weekend? did you tags get scanned?

I have been using Fast Tag and earlier ETC Tag since 2013 and do Pune Mumbai run every alternate weekend. This particular toll both has always been problematic. As per my experience for less than 50% of the time it works. Toll attendant try to give any reason like "This is MEP tag", "Invalid Tag", "No Balance Sir", "Blacklisted Tag", "You came too fast", "Go back 50 meters and come again", "This tag doesn't work here", "This is not ETC lane", "You have to pay cash" and what not. Just don't budge. All lanes are ETC enabled (when it works). But at this toll plaza I always stick to "ETC only" lane and keep latest SMS of ETC transaction handy. They usually let me go even if it doesn't work. You should not pay toll using cash because at Khalapur ETC will deduct 139 again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhijitvp (Post 4207521)

They usually let me go even if it doesn't work. You should not pay toll using cash because at Khalapur ETC will deduct 139 again.

Thanks for the info. This was my first run on any toll booth with FASTag so I was not sure who is the culprit, my tag or the reader :)

I went to lonavala so didn't get a chance to see if it works at khalapur.

Does khalapur scanner work almost every time?
Do you experience similar invalid tag issue at Talegao toll when heading towards Pune?

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedom (Post 4207547)

I used fastag during the bangalore-Gujarat drive last year. All places in MH, GJ fastag worked fine including the expressway.

Had to go to Nelamangala for some work yesterday, so ended up taking Bangalore's other, lesser-known elevated tollway (NBTPL) both ways.

Outbound: There was a big crowd at the toll booth; all gates (6 of them I think) including the Fastag one was 15-20 deep in vehicles. I queued up in the correct lane; and at the head of the line when I informed them I have Fastag the staff let me go. Haven't got any SMS of deduction yet, and neither does the online account show any.

Return: It wasn't clear to me; but you have to join the main highway at either Nelamangala or after NICE Road interchange via dedicated toll booths (1 at Nelamangala, 2 after NICE). Else you are doomed to be on the service road/ground level road throughout. I missed the empty one at Nelamangala but got wise later, waited in queue for another 15 minutes and paid up Rs. 20 (Fastag? What's that?). No Fastag access in the return direction unless there is a toll booth on the main carriageway for through traffic.

Overall pathetic experience except that I didn't have to pay the outbound toll.