My experience with Fastag – Electronic toll collection system

Update February 2021

I did several long drives in the last few months, and had a lot of “fastag crossings”. Here is the latest update based on my experience.

It looks like the concerned people are trying hard to improve the system. The sensors are working more efficiently, and the waiting time is shorter. Two main issues need to be solved, and unfortunately, they are not technical but more of a cultural problem.

1.VIP Lane

While crossing any toll booth, you realize that India is filled with VIP’s even though it is considered a poor (developing) country. Most toll booths have a dedicated VIP lane. You always see people trying to sneak into this lane. Identity cards intended for entry in offices is used to get into VIP lane. I think this is a hangover from the colonial past. When people are waiting on other lanes, it is sad to see a lane not dedicated to the common man. Ambulance and Police (on duty) should have an unhindered movement through the tool. But, it can be achieved by immediately lifting off the automated barrier when such a situation arrives. I have never seen a VIP lane in developed countries.

2. Digital literacy

The queues are still longer during weekends. The main reasons are that people either do not have fastag or have not topped up their fastags. It leads to either insufficient balance or backlisting of cards. People either grudgingly pay double the amount in cash or put up a fight. It eventually results in a pile of vehicles behind them. Though Indians are voracious users of mobile data, it is mostly limited to watching online videos and social media. Digital literacy involving finance, privacy and security are still in the nascent stage in India.

I think while the technical issues will get solved, the cultural changes will take time. I am not hopeful that the VIP culture will go off.

Update August 2020

Fastag has been mandatory for more than 8 months now and I felt that the initial issues that plagued the system should have been resolved. Recently, I travelled to my native place near Jog Falls where I got an opportunity to experience it myself.

What is good?

• No need to pay cash. For the Government, which is trying to cut revenue leakages using digital, Fastag is solving the issue. It feels good not to pay cash and wait for the change from the person. I am missing those chocolates though!!
• Cash is allowed in on only one lane. All others are dedicated for Fastag. The queue in cash lane is generally longer.
• Most vehicles have Fastag. People have accepted it.

What is bad?

• My biggest concern still is not resolved. The queue in front of toll gate is still not reduced. It takes a long time for the sensor to detect and allow a vehicle to pass. I do not know whether it is because of technology or due to the implementation. I went on a weekday and had to wait for 5-10 minutes in each of the tool booths near Nelagamangala and Tumkur.
• Fastag was not working on few lanes and there was a person with scanner.
• In one toll booth, I had to tell the person my car number. He entered it in the system and then I was allowed to go.
• Some Government employees still create problem by flashing their office tags. It looks silly and funny, but they cause delay. I do not know when they will understand that office tags are for entering to their offices and identity and not a general-purpose kit.
• Few toll booths have dedicated lane for VIP’s. Time is important for everyone.
• In spite of automation, number of people in toll booths is not reduced indicating that the technology/implementation is not very robust. We are in a country where there is a person to press the button in a lift and in parking garage. Employment should be generated by some means for the big population that we have created.

In general, things are better when compared to a year ago, but the performance issue of the Fastag is pulling the system down. It is possible that I may be expecting too much from the system in India where everyone is in a hurry but still everything is slow.

Original post

Long back I had wrote a post about the toll booth nuisance in Indian highways. I recently got Fastag attached to my car though my drive on highways have reduced a lot. There were few reasons to do this.

• Greater chance of bypassing long queues at toll plaza.
• Cashless transaction. No need to search for change or scratch my head on the chocolates received as change!!
• Embrace technology. Being a digital savvy person, paying cash looked boring for me.

• After getting Fastag, I did few trips on highways passing through toll booths. Though I did not expect to zoom past the toll booths like in western countries, the experience was much below my expectations. In this post, I shall narrate few experiences.
• Let me start with best case scenario, though it is no way near to the utopian dream. There will be a separate lane for Fastag and one person will be guarding the entry. He sees the Fastag on the car and allows you to enter the lane. You go slowly and near the booth a person asks you to stop and checks whether the scan happens or not. You may have to move your vehicle front or back. Finally, the gate opens and proceed. This is no way near to the “zoom and drive” but this is the best you can hope for.
• A variation of above case is that the person physically comes with a scanning machine and scans the tag. If there are big vehicles like lorry, the person will have tough time.
• Sometimes the person guarding the Fastag gate would have gone to drink tea/coffee or sleeping somewhere in shade. A round of honking and he will come back!! It is not fair to blame him as it is difficult for anyone to stand under scorching sun. Since the people do not have common sense to honor Fastag lane, someone needs to guard the lane.
• In few toll plazas, all vehicles are allowed to pass through Fastag lane. No priority here. It is even possible that queue at Fastag lane could be longer.
• In one toll booth, I saw the Fastag lane filled with 10 vehicles whereas the lane next to it was practically empty. Just because I have Fastag does not mean that I need to suffer waiting for my turn. So, I took the empty lane. With cash in hand, I told the person at the booth that I had “Fastag”. Immediately he called the person scanning on the Fastag lane and asked to scan my tag!! I am sure that the vehicle owners on the Fastag lane would have been frustrated.
• The recently constructed toll plazas between Chitradurga and Haveri did not had special lane for Fastag. When told that I had the tag, a person came with the scanner and scanned.
• The Fastag lane is also used by few low level Government officials who think they are very important and show their ids to the person in the toll booth. This usually takes a long time as the rules do not entertain free entry for these people. Finally, one of them have to relent and this eats up some time.
• Once, the scanning did not work at all in Fastag lane and I was diverted to the adjacent lane. Wido, who was sitting next to me told me that he will be witnessing some “Indian jugged”!! He was not disappointed!! The person in the booth gave me the scanner to scan my vehicle as there was no one else to help him nearby!! It took some time for me to understand how to scan. Wish I had a photo of it!!
• In general, all toll booths accepted Fastag and I did not pay cash in any toll plaza. In that way, my second objective was achieved. I do not think I saved significant time as I timed my travel to avoid busy times in toll plaza. But it was definitely faster than cash option.
• At couple of places, I realized that the money was not deducted at all. I am not sure whether I need to happy for that extra money or be worried about the state of affairs in this system.