FASTags. We have all seen them. They were introduced to cut travel time by trimming the minutes lost at toll plazas. Adoption rose to 97 per cent in a little over two years and nudged to 98 per cent after four, yet many lanes still clog. The simple truth is that system has yet to realise its full potential because of lingering operational issues and everyday behavioural habits.

A May 2021 notification was explicit: "This notification states that if a vehicle is delayed in a queue for over 10 seconds or is queued more than 100 meters from the toll collection point (a distance marked by yellow lines at the booth), it is entitled to pass without paying the toll."

In reality, that relief has rarely been extended to motorists. At times, the delays are caused by user errors and faltering syste

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