Mumbai-Pune commuters faced a stressful delay late Wednesday night after an MSRTC E-Shivneri bus was halted for nearly an hour at the Talegaon toll plaza over an alleged FASTag issue, forcing passengers to collectively pay the toll to continue their journey.
The electric E-Shivneri bus (MH 12 VF 5207) left Dadar around 5 pm for Pune via Thane and reached the Talegaon toll plaza at about 9.30 pm. Toll staff reportedly stopped the bus, claiming there was insufficient balance in its FASTag account, and refused to let it proceed.
As minutes stretched into an hour, passengers questioned the driver, who tried contacting senior officials and depot authorities. According to passengers, repeated calls went unanswered, leaving them stranded at the toll plaza late at night.
Passengers said repeated calls went unanswered, leaving them stranded at the toll plaza late at night. Representation Pic/X/@priyapandey1999
With no resolution in sight, commuters eventually pooled money and paid around Rs 900 as toll charges. The bus resumed its journey only around 10.30 pm.
Passengers described the episode as mentally distressing, especially since a six-month-pregnant woman was among those on board.
“Passengers buy tickets expecting a smooth journey. FASTag compliance or toll issues should never become the passengers’ problem. We plan to approach the consumer forum over this lapse,” a group of commuters said.
Another passenger, Sharayu Joshi, said, “It was a cold winter night with falling temperatures. Stopping a public transport bus for over an hour over such an issue is completely unacceptable.”
An MSRTC official confirmed that a complaint had been received and an inquiry was underway. “E-Shivneri buses are toll-exempt and should not be stopped at toll plazas. The driver had informed the toll staff about this exemption,” the official said, adding that the driver has been called for clarification.
Officials also said toll operators are expected to be aware of exemptions applicable to E-Shivneri electric buses. “Despite this, the bus was halted for over an hour,” the official noted.
The spokesperson of IRB MP Expressway Pvt Ltd, responding to mid-day, said, “As per the agreed process with the authorities, and to prevent misuse of toll exemptions, exemption for electric vehicles is allowed only through FASTag linked to the VAHAN vehicle database. FASTag is mandatory for all vehicles, and users are expected to keep it active.
The concessionaire, IRB MP Expressway Pvt Ltd, has no role in granting exemptions. Its role is limited to validating FASTag at the toll plaza to allow vehicles to pass. No amount is deducted from FASTag for electric vehicles with a valid and active FASTag. However, the concessionaire is required to collect toll as per prevailing rates from all vehicles with an inactive FASTag. In the case at the Talegaon toll plaza on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, the E-Shivneri bus had an inactive FASTag due to insufficient balance and was therefore allowed to pass only after paying the applicable toll.”
The official further stated that toll exemption for electric vehicles applies only on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Samruddhi MahamarG, and Atal Setu, and not on any other highways, including the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH-48). Hence, maintaining an active and valid FASTag is mandatory as per government guidelines.
This is not the first such incident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Earlier this year, nine E-Shivneri buses were halted at Khalapur toll plaza for nearly 90 minutes due to FASTag-related issues, raising recurring concerns about coordination, accountability and passenger welfare.
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