Several Tamil Nadu government buses were halted on Friday morning at the Tiruppachethi toll plaza on the Madurai–Paramakudi four-lane highway after their FASTag accounts did not clear the toll, leaving passengers stranded for long periods.
The toll plaza collects user fees from vehicles using the highway, and vehicles are expected to carry the required stickers. Officials said the Centre has directed that, from April 1, vehicles should be allowed to pass toll gates only through FASTag, and notices were displayed in Tamil, English and Hindi across toll plazas.
Tiruppachethi toll sees about 167 government buses pass daily. However, when replacement buses are operated in place of broken-down services, they may not have adequate FASTag arrangements. On Friday, enforcement of the “FASTag-only” rule was reportedly tightened, leading to multiple buses being stopped.
Among those held were two buses bound for Ramanathapuram, one to Erwadi Dargah, one to Madurai, and a town bus to Vagaudi. A dispute broke out between toll staff and bus crew, and after prolonged talks, the buses were eventually allowed to proceed after collecting payment.
Toll staff alleged that depot managers had been informed about the April 1 requirement but were not ensuring compliance. Bus staff, meanwhile, said that after accidents, front windshields are replaced and the old stickers are reattached, which sometimes fail to scan properly, triggering conflicts at toll gates even when funds are available.
