Toll plazas on the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway get ready for the Deepavali rush

State’s first barrier-free multi-lane toll system in Paranur.

Whenever there is a festival and a large number of people travel to their hometowns in the state, the toll plazas on the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway bear the brunt.

Motorists spend a total of about 20 minutes in all six squares waiting to cross the gates.

“Contractors ensure that toll operators and security guards do not have time off. Once the rush starts, boom barriers are placed vertically, so no time is lost in moving them up and down. Almost 50,000 vehicles travel to Tiruchi in a single day. During festivals, this number goes up. Due to the high volume of traffic, the lanes and all the toll booths in India are 4×7 in operation,” (NHAI) he said.

However, those who cross Paranur Square, the first from Chennai, will have a whole new experience this Deepavali. “Since the state’s first barrier-free multi-lane toll system was launched at Paranur, there have been no hiatuses. If a motorist doesn’t want to, he doesn’t have to stop there. In the last one month, more than 83% vehicles have passed through this plaza with adequate balance and a clean windshield without any hassle,” said another NHAI official.

In October, a total of 19,18,967 vehicles passed through the square. Of these, 3,06,307 had insufficient balance, closed or duplicate marks. Vehicles with insufficient balance in FASTags will be blacklisted and e-challans will be issued. They will be stopped at the next square and have to pay double the fee. If they do not have a FASTag, the vehicle will be blocked on the Vahan portal. They cannot use the services of the Regional Transport Office, such as title transfer and pollution certificates.

If the vehicles do not have proper number plates or have fake number plates, the system will inform the police, who will register an FIR.

“This facility has also been integrated into our system and will be implemented soon. We request the public to ensure that their vehicle number plates are clean and visible to avoid such problems. Similarly, if the windshield is free of debris, the FASTag will work properly,” the official said.

Published – 05 Nov 2026 0:46 IST