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A consumer forum in Chandigarh has directed the National Highways Authority of India and a payments bank to pay Rs 4,100 in compensation to a commuter who was wrongly penalized while passing through a toll plaza in Punjab. The commuter was carrying a positive balance of Rs 210 in his FASTag wallet, but the toll operator deducted Rs 200, which included the standard passage fee alongside an additional fine for insufficient balance. Holding both the highway authority and the issuing bank accountable for an unfair deduction, the forum ruled that digital toll systems cannot impose arbitrary penalties that contradict prevailing operational guidelines.
Disputed Deduction at Punjab Toll Plaza
The dispute arose when the motorist approached a highway toll plaza in Punjab with Rs 210 actively available in his FASTag digital wallet. Instead of a regular single transaction corresponding to the designated user fee, the automated system deducted Rs 200 from his account, citing a lack of sufficient funds. Aggrieved by the deduction, the motorist approached the consumer forum, pointing out that his balance was in credit and fully capable of covering the passage charges without triggering any penalty. He contended that penalizing a user whose account maintains a clear positive balance amounted to an unfair trade practice and a direct deficiency in service.
Forum Rejects Bank Security Balance Defence
During the proceedings, the payments bank defended its decision to levy the penalty by citing its mandatory minimum balance policy. The bank submitted that FASTag users are required to maintain a security threshold of Rs 150 in their accounts at all times. According to the bank, deducting the toll fee would have caused the commuter’s remaining balance to dip below this compulsory Rs 150 mark, thereby justifying the automatic levy for insufficient funds. The consumer forum rejected this reasoning, stating that financial institutions managing FASTag accounts cannot enforce restrictive internal conditions that undermine the broader regulatory framework established by the National Highways Authority of India.
Mandate on Alignment with NHAI Regulations
The forum underlined that banking entities must strictly align their operational practices with official National Highways Authority of India directives. According to these governing rules, any vehicle carrying a valid FASTag with a positive balance must be permitted to clear the toll plaza without being subjected to wrongful fines. The authority made it clear that banks cannot penalize motorists merely on the assumption that a post-transaction balance might fall below an arbitrary institutional security limit. By ordering the payment of Rs 4,100 to the complainant, the consumer forum reinforced the principle that highway travelers cannot be penalized unfairly through automated deductions when their FASTag accounts hold sufficient funds to pay for transit.
