Payment glitches and rude staff turn Olavanna Toll Plaza into flashpoint

Pantheerankavu: Disputes between motorists and toll plaza staff show no signs of easing at the Olavanna Toll Plaza on the Vengalam–Ramanattukara stretch of National Highway 66, with repeated FASTag glitches and staff intervention triggering frequent traffic snarls.

Despite payments being made via FASTag, amounts often fail to register on the monitor and vehicles are repeatedly stopped beyond the sensor line, causing frequent traffic congestion. Even government vehicles have faced warnings and confrontations from the toll staff.

On Wednesday, the staff at toll plaza here blocked a vehicle belonging to the Kozhikode Sub-Collector, and it was only after police intervention that the situation was resolved. Officials from the National Highway Authority of India, led by Project Director Prashanth Dubai, also visited the site during the day to assess the toll plaza’s operations.

The toll plaza began functioning on January 15. Disputes at the toll counters are further aggravated when FASTag payments fail to reflect on the counter monitor. Although the vehicle owner receives a confirmation message on their mobile, toll staff often block or even strike vehicles as they attempt to move forward.

One such incident occurred on Monday morning when P P Shaju, a resident of Mokavoor, paid the toll and tried to drive ahead. Toll staff reportedly struck the vehicle’s door, leading to a confrontation between Shaju, his passengers, and the staff, creating a long queue of vehicles. A supervisor eventually intervened and allowed the car to proceed.

Yesterday, a similar incident occurred involving the official vehicle of the Kozhikode Sub-Collector. Even after the driver indicated it was a government vehicle, staff initially refused to let it pass. Police rushed to the scene and the vehicle was finally allowed through.

Toll plaza staff claim that a minimum balance of Rs. 400 is required in a vehicle’s FASTag account. When only Rs. 130 is available, staff insist that additional funds to cover the next toll must also be present in the account, often triggering disputes. Complaints have also been raised that some vehicles, even after paying at Olavanna Toll Plaza and intending to take alternate routes, are not permitted to proceed, further aggravating the situation. NHAI officials have clarified that government vehicles with the proper board and authorised stickers should not face such issues.