Paliyekkara: The toll plaza here has discarded the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)’s decision of doing away with the requirement of maintaining a minimum balance in the FASTag wallet, it is alleged.
Dr Shinu Syamalan, a medical practitioner popular on social media, complained that she had to shell out double the toll amount at Paliyekkara toll plaza on National Highway 544, despite having a balance of Rs 194.26 in her FASTag wallet.
The Central government had repealed the minimum-balance norm in February following complaints of banks unnecessarily withholding the users’ money citing the rule. It has now been alleged that a few banks that provide FAStag are not following the NHAI directive.
The NHAI in February had directed to deduct the required toll amount from the security deposit if the FASTag is functional. The amount could be recouped while recharging the wallet, the authority said.
Motorists are angry over the plaza charging double the amount despite having sufficient funds in their FASTag wallet. The toll plaza authorities, meanwhile, washed their hands of and put the blame on the banks.
