The FASTag parking system at Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, designed to streamline traffic, has turned into a major inconvenience for travelers. While the Airport Authority allows a grace period of 7 minutes and 59 seconds for “Pick and Drop” services, long queues at the exit gate are making this exemption practically impossible to avail.

The Exit Gate Bottleneck: Passengers complain that even when they drop off relatives quickly and head for the exit, they get stuck in long vehicle rows. By the time they reach the scanning point, the 7-minute window expires due to the congestion, and a parking fee ranging from ₹20 to ₹55 is automatically deducted from their FASTag accounts. Essentially, travelers are being penalized for the airport’s inability to manage traffic flow.

Demands for Separate Lanes: Adding to the frustration, reports of “double deductions” have also surfaced, where money is debited twice for a single entry. Frequent flyers are now demanding separate lanes for FASTag and cash payments to expedite the process. They argue that until the exit congestion is resolved, the 7-minute free window remains nothing more than a symbolic gesture on paper.