Kochi: A KSRTC bus traveling from Guruvayur to Ernakulam was stopped at the toll plaza for not having a FASTag. The incident took place around 9 am on Friday at the Ponnarimangalam toll plaza on the Container Terminal Road.

When toll plaza staff refused to allow the bus to pass without a FASTag, passengers heading to offices and other places were left stranded on the road for nearly half an hour. Following protests from passengers, they were shifted to another KSRTC bus to continue their journey.

The bus was full of employees working in various offices and shops in Ernakulam. Believing that the conductor and driver would resolve the issue soon, the passengers initially waited patiently. But when no action was taken, they began to protest. Soon, the matter was settled by transferring the passengers to another bus that arrived later.

Usually, FASTags for KSRTC buses are recharged every month after payment is approved and funds are allocated by the head office. The bus stopped at Ponnarimangalam belonged to the Guruvayur depot.

According to Guruvayur Depot Assistant Transport Officer (ATO) TK Santhosh, the regular bus operating on the route was sent for urgent repairs, so another bus was temporarily deployed on the Guruvayur–Ernakulam route, and it did not have a FASTag.

The conductor and driver reportedly tried to pass through using the FASTag code of the regular bus, but the toll plaza staff did not allow it. KSRTC employees said that in the past, such requests had been permitted. The bus later returned to Guruvayur.