Goa RTOs Paralyzed by SBI Payment Gateway Glitch, Online Transport Services Disrupted
Online services at regional transport offices (RTOs) across Goa have been severely disrupted due to a persistent technical snag involving the State Bank of India (SBI) payment gateway. This issue has left vehicle owners unable to complete essential transactions, such as tax payments and other statutory fees, causing widespread inconvenience and operational paralysis.
Technical Failure Halts VAHAN Portal Payments
Sources indicate that online payments initiated through the VAHAN portal are failing to process correctly. The problem stems from the payment gateway not transmitting the required "success" or "failure" confirmation flags back to the system. Without this digital confirmation, transactions remain stuck in a pending or unsuccessful state, even after multiple attempts by users.
A transport official explained, "Vehicle owners reported that online tax payments were not being cleared even after 45 minutes or more, with no clarity on whether the transaction failed or succeeded. The issue is affecting all users across Goa."
Real-World Impacts and Financial Losses
The disruption has led to significant real-world consequences. In one notable case, a motorist transferred Rs 4 lakh for road tax, only to see the transaction marked as "failed" on the treasury system, despite his net-banking statement showing the deduction. "He argued with us; however, this issue left RTOs paralysed as we were unable to complete registrations. Even traffic challan payments are pending, and motorists could potentially face penalties through no fault of their own," the official added.
Department officials were advised to raise technical tickets, but no immediate resolution was provided. The issue has persisted for over a week, impacting all online treasury-linked transport transactions, including vehicle tax and other statutory payments, causing frustration among vehicle owners and transport operators.
Ongoing Efforts and Broader Context
Authorities are actively working to resolve the technical failure. "We are continuing to work with SBI and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to resolve the technical failure. Until then, routine transport services in the state will continue to be affected," the official stated.
This glitch is not isolated to the transport sector. Reports indicate that the technical issue was first noticed on January 29 in the real estate sector, where property buyers faced failed transactions worth Rs 1 crore, highlighting a broader systemic problem with the payment gateway.
The ongoing disruption underscores the vulnerabilities in digital payment systems and the urgent need for robust technical solutions to prevent such widespread service failures in critical public sectors.
