Vehicle owners allege ‘wrongful FASTag deductions’ at NHAI toll plazas

People are complaining that they were charged for crossing toll plazas located hundreds of kilometres away while their vehicles were parked at home or in workshops for repair

Vehicle owners in Bihar have been complaining of unexpected FASTag deductions, with some complaining that they were charged for crossing toll plazas located hundreds of kilometres away while their vehicles were parked at home or in workshops for repair.

NHAI officials argue that the manual operations at some toll lanes could be the potential culprit. (HT Photo)

In one such incident, Siddharth Kaushal, a resident of Patna, received a notification on a Tuesday evening on his mobile app that showed a ₹65 deduction for passing through the Putru toll plaza in Jamshedpur. “I was stunned,” Kaushal said. “My vehicle (registration ending 7852) was parked right outside my house in Patna. I’ve never even travelled that stretch of road.”

Kaushal’s experience is not isolated. Prabhakar, a civil engineer and contractor based in Ranchi, faced a similar shock when ₹130 was debited from his FASTag-linked account (vehicle ending 0302) for crossing the Tendua toll plaza near Gorakhpur on July 29. At the time, his car was undergoing repairs in a workshop in Mathura following a minor accident. “I immediately called the 1033 helpline and requested for reversal. But months later, I’m still unsure if the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has refunded the amount,” Prabhakar said.

A third motorist, Abhay Ranjan from Nokha in Rohtas district, recounted an incident from February when ₹75 was deducted at the Pundag toll plaza in Ranchi (vehicle ending 3218), despite never having visited the area. Ranjan suspected foul play in dedication, claiming that he had a heated exchange with staff at the Koilwar toll plaza a week earlier. “The employee threatened to ‘teach me a lesson’. No further deductions happened after that, so I let it go, but it left a bad taste,” he said.

NHAI, regional officer, Patna, NL Yeotkar refused to talk despite several calls made on his number. When asked to explain the reason for wrongful deductions, he sent a text message asking to contact the Ranchi based regional officer of the NHAI to resolve the issue.

Such complaints highlight a persistent glitch in the FASTag system, where erroneous charges occur without the vehicle physically crossing a plaza. NHAI officials argue that the manual operations at some toll lanes could be the potential culprit. A former executive engineer from the road construction department, Bihar, with extensive experience at NHAI projects, explained that while most lanes use high-precision scanners for automatic deductions, a few remain open for manual operations for transit of local or exempted vehicles.

“In manual lanes, staff visually inspect the vehicle, insert the vehicle’s number and process the electronic transfer of money,” the engineer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Human error in entering registration numbers can lead to wrong accounts being charged. These mistakes are rare, but when they happen, complaints are prioritised and refunds issued.”

A senior NHAI official in Patna initially downplayed the possibility. “In this technological era, such errors are unimaginable,” the officer said. “Cameras at plazas accurately read number plates.”

The NHAI has in its report acknowledged wrongful deductions in several cases and imposed penalties of ₹1 lakh per verified case on toll operators. “In the first quarter of 2025 alone, at least 250 such fines were levied, leading to a reported 70% drop in incidents. The Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) used to receive about 50 genuine complaints of wrong deductions in about 30 crore monthly FASTag transactions per month,” said a NHAI officer.

As highways expand and FASTag reliance grows, authorities insist the system is robust, with quick chargebacks for verified errors. But for affected motorists like Kaushal, Prabhakar, and Ranjan, the incidents serve as a reminder: a moment’s complacency can lead to unexpected drains on the wallet – and a tedious battle for reimbursement.