Commuters left fuming as TN e-pass website crashes due to heavy traffic

Commuters wanting to travel within Chennai were left disappointed on Monday as the e-registration portal of the Tamil Nadu government crashed due to the inflow of heavy traffic.

The Tamil Nadu government while extending the COVID-19 lockdown till June 14 had made it compulsory for those wanting to travel by taxis and auto-rickshaws to avail an e-registration pass.

However, several residents who tried logging in to the e-registration portal (eregister.tnega.org) complained that they were unable to get the OTP to get their e-passes on Monday, The Hindu reported.

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Office-goers dependent on public transport said cab and auto-rickshaw drivers refused to board them as they wanted them to get the passes themselves. Other residents said auto-rickshaw drivers who had e-passes fleeced customers in return of driving them to the desired location.

When enquired, a senior official of the Tamil Nadu e-governance agency, which takes care of the e-registration process and the issuing of e-passes told The Hindu that the site crashed due to the heavy inflow of traffic and that it would be restarted by the evening.

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The official said the e-pass has to be strictly used for three purposes – medical emergency, funerals and travel to other states.