Patna, Dec. 3: Queues made a comeback at banks today as people rushed to withdraw cash after salaries got credited to their accounts.

At the State Bank of India Secretariat branch, which has around 60,000 customers (mostly salaried people and pensioners), the rush began in the morning.

Dinanath Ojha, a government employee in the education department who queuing up at the SBI's Secretariat branch, said: "As today is a holiday, I thought of withdrawing cash, but there was a huge rush." Ojha managed to withdraw cash but it took him nearly two hours. "The withdrawal limit on salary account should be increased," he said.

Shyamdeo Ram, another government employee who too was queuing up at SBI's secretariat branch, said: "The government talks about cashless economy but there is lack of awareness among people."

Ram claimed that the government should have first created awareness about cashless economy and then announced scrapping of notes.

However, several ATMs across the city were shut or defunct because of cash shortage or technical issues over the past few days.

Toll plaza

Also, with toll collection on national highways resuming from the midnight of December 2, vehicles passing through the Didarganj toll plaza moved at a snail's pace. The toll plaza is on National Highway 30, connecting Patna with Bakhtiyarpur. The problem of currency change was visible here as drivers were giving Rs 2,000 currency notes.

Nilesh Kumar, a toll collector at the Didarganj check post, said: "Many bus and truck driver who don't have credit cards were giving Rs 2,000 currency notes. Giving change for Rs 2,000 note is a challenge as the one-way fair for buses or trucks is Rs 270 and we have to return Rs 1,730."

The Didarganj toll plaza has 12 entry and exit points. For light commercial vehicles and private vehicles, the toll charge for one-way movement is Rs 90, while for both ways, the fare is Rs 135.

Similarly, for heavy vehicles, the toll charges are Rs 270 for one way and Rs 405 for both ways. The authorities at Didarganj toll plaza had even installed point of sale machines at its entry and exit points, but only private vehicles preferred to use the swipe machines.

The lack of awareness on use of plastic money was also visible at the toll plaza.

Nilesh said: "On an average, nearly 17,000 vehicles (big and small) pass through the toll plazas from both sides, but less than 50 people, which cludes people in cars as well as SUVs used the point of sale machines."

Those moving in small vehicles used Rs 100 currency notes to pay.

Traders said proper awareness should have been created before scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. He said: "Currently the government has announced subsidies with no charges on use of point of sale machines and Paytm, but tax relaxation should continue for longer periods. Earlier, before demonetisation was announced, the rental charge of using point of sale machines was Rs 600 which the businessmen had to pay from his pocket."