Passengers stranded at Khalapur toll plaza on Mum-Pune Eway due to E-Shivneri FASTag issue
Passengers traveling from Thane to Pune in nine e-Shivneri buses on Wednesday morning had a harrowing time when authorities at the Khalapur toll plaza stopped the vehicles due to malfunctioning FASTag stickers.
These buses, operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and belonging to the Swargate depot, were on the way to Pune when the incident occurred.
A passenger on one of the buses reported that the bus had been traveling from Thane to Swargate and had picked up passengers in Navi Mumbai around 6 am. Upon reaching the Khalapur toll plaza, the bus was halted for nearly 15 minutes because the FASTag stickers were not functioning. Consequently, the authorities did not permit the bus to pass through the toll booth.
As more e-Shivneri buses arrived, the drivers attempted to adjust the passengers among the buses. However, the other buses encountered the same payment issue, leading to a queue of nine to ten buses. The toll authorities suggested that the problem could be due to low balance in the FASTag accounts.
The toll rate for buses is Rs. 900, with a penalty of double the amount if the FASTag is not working. In response, the passengers decided to pool money to pay the toll. While the bus driver was unsure if the state transport body would reimburse him, the passengers were in the process of collecting money when the FASTag suddenly started working, allowing the bus to pass through the toll booth.
The passengers were stuck at the toll booth for one and a half hour. One passenger emphasized that MSRTC needs to improve their systems, noting that other vehicles passed through the toll booth without any problems.
Pramod Nehul, the divisional controller of MSRTC, Pune, confirmed the incident and stated that the issue had been resolved. He explained that while there was sufficient balance in the FASTag accounts, the money was not being deducted due to bank issues. Nehul noted that MSRTC transfers around Rs. 7-8 lakh every day into the FASTag accounts.
