No more free rides, chaos back at toll plazas

Despite the government installing swipe machines, prepaid payment gateways to pay toll on all National Highway, commuters demanding change for Rs 2,000 notes brought the chaos back to the toll booths

Long queues of vehicles, traffic snarls and chaos over change returned to toll plazas across the country as toll collection resumed from midnight Saturday. Lack of change for high value notes continued to be the biggest challenge for commuters and toll plaza staff.

Despite the government installing Point of sale swipe machines, prepaid payment gateways to pay toll on all National Highway, commuters demanding change for Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 in both new and demonetised notes brought the chaos back to the toll booths.

Long line of vehicles were seen at NH 8 towards Jaipur from Delhi near toll plaza. Similar scenes were reported from Mumbai as the toll collection resumed. Confusion and chaos reigned supreme at Vashi and Dahisar toll plazas in Mumbai. In Thrissur, staff of Paliakkara toll plaza were unable to return change since most commuters gave Rs 2,000 notes deepening the crisis.

The Union government had suspended toll collection on all National Highways to ease cash crunch post demonetisation announcement. Toll collection resumed from midnight of November 3 and so has the scramble for change.

OneIndia News