Lok Sabha Question No. 3363 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-20
Subject: Discrepancies in Toll Collections
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Murari Lal Meena

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether more than four lakh cases of incorrect toll deductions were refunded in the year 2024, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether any action has been taken against the responsible FASTag companies and concerned banks in cases of incorrect toll deductions, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government has implemented any penal provisions to prevent such discrepancies, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  ensure  the monitoring of FASTag companies and banks considering irregularities in toll deductions and increasing complaints, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  whether  vehicles  are  sometimes  charged  toll  fees  even  without traveling on a National Highway/Expressway or face double charging, if so, the technical improvements the Government plans to implement to address this issue?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3363 ANSWERED ON 20 TH  MARCH, 2025

## DISCREPANCIES IN TOLL COLLECTIONS

3363. SHRI MURARI LAL MEENA:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

- (a)  National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), which provides the Central  Clearing  House  (CCH)  services  of  National  Electronic  Toll Collection  (NETC)  Programme,  has  reported  12.55  lakh  transactions where refunds were made due to incorrect user fee (toll) deductions in the  year  2024  out  of  a  total  of  410  crore  FASTag  transactionsin  the same  year  which  represents  0.03%  of  all  Fastag  transactions.    The details are as under:
- (b)  The  FASTag  transactions  are  created  by  the  user  fee  collecting agencies  deployed  at  the  User  Fee  Plazas  and  the  agencies  are penalized as per the provision of the Contract Agreement and policy guidelines, in case of incorrect toll deductions.

| Chargeback Reason                                                        | No of charge-back   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
| User fee (Toll) fare calculation error                                   | 5,00,800            |
| NETC services not availed/ Tag holder does not recognise the transaction | 4,45,145            |
| Duplicate transaction done at user fee Plaza                             | 1,36,728            |
| Return journey not provided                                              | 1,25,733            |
| Paid by other means                                                      | 46,871              |
| Total                                                                    | 12,55,277           |

Further, penalties of more than Rs.2 crore have been levied so far on the  user  fee  collecting  agencies  for  incorrect  user  fee  deduction cases.

- (c)  Yes,  Sir.  As  per  the  manual  transaction  policy,  a  penalty  of  Rs.1 Lakh per case is levied on user fee collecting agencies, in case user fee  is  charged  from  a  vehicle,  which  has  not  crossed  the  user  fee plaza (False deduction).

If toll agencies are found responsible for incorrect user fee deduction, as per Clause-15 of Contract Agreement, penalty amounting to excess user fee charged x 30 x 50 is imposed on user fee collecting agency.

After three such incidents of levy of penalty for excess charging, the part  performance  security  of  an  amount  equal  to  15  days  agreed remittance as per amount stated in Letter of Award shall be forfeited in addition to such recoveries. The contractor shall have to replenish the  forfeited  performance  guarantee,  in  the  same  mode  as  it  was deposited  earlier,  within  10  days  of  such  forfeiture  to  continue  with the collection work failing which the contract shall be terminated and the  balance  performance  guarantee  shall  also  be  forfeited.  If  the incident  of  excess  charging  is  again  observed  and/or  established  to the  satisfaction  of  the  Authority  after  forfeiture  of  part  performance guarantee, the contract shall be terminated and the entire performance guarantee shall be forfeited. (d) Yes, Sir. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) takes monthly statement  of  false  deduction  cases  from  toll  free  number  1033  and investigates  each  case.  Rs.1  Lakh  penalty  is  levied  on  user  fee collecting agencies for each bonafide case. Apart from this, NHAI has created a dedicated email ID: falsededuction@ihmcl.com for public to report any incorrect/ false toll deductions. (e)  Vehicles  are  sometimes  charged  toll  fees even without  travelling on a National Highway/Expressway when user fee collecting agencies enter incorrect Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) in the system while manually  creating  VRN  based  transactions.  The  double  charging sometimes happens due to multiple reading by FASTag readers. Penalty  of  Rs.  1  lakh  per  case  is  levied  on  user  fee  collecting agencies  to  discourage  manual  VRN  based  Transactions,  which sometimes result in false deduction cases. Additionally, Guidelines are also being formulated to eliminate human intervention in the creation of Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) based transactions. reading  by FASTag readers, logics are in place in the software to disallow second

In addition, to eliminate possibility of multiple transaction by same FASTag within 15 minutes.

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