No toll on road to international airport, but pay double on return
Two-wheelers exempted; transport bodies oppose user fee
Commuters bound for the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) will not have to pay any toll on the onward journey, but will be charged double while returning to the City. The toll collection is expected to begin in 10 days.
With the State Government having permitted the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to collect toll on Bellary Road, three toll plazas are being readied for the purpose near BIA. Barring two-wheelers, all vehicles plying on the main carriageway that starts after Sadahalli Cross will have to pay the toll. In other words, no vehicle will be charged the toll on their journey towards BIA, Hyderabad and other places. But while returning, they have to pay double the toll (onward and return) and those coming from Hyderabad a one-way fee.
Two-wheeler riders need not pay even on the return journey, as the NHAI is building an exclusive lane for them on the left side (while returning from BIA).
“Last year, we had published advertisements that, after a stipulated time, we will start collecting toll. Accordingly, we will collect the fee from users of our six-lane road,” R K Gupta, NHAI Project Director, said.
NHAI says it will not charge for the service roads. But the main carriageway is devoid of any such stretches.
An officer at BIA toll plaza confirmed that service roads actually end near the Sadahalli Cross, before the main carriageway begins.
Transport associations and political groups have strongly opposed the move, terming it “betrayal and cheating”. Radhakrishna Holla, President of Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association, accused NHAI of going back on its promise of levying toll only on completion of the expressway. At present, only about half of the work on the expressway is over.
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj described the move as “robbery” and threatened to launch a movement if the toll was not withdrawn.
Nagaraj said that the toll was “taking a toll” on the earnings of the common man. “NHAI had assigned work of road construction to private players who want to recover their investment. If you go from Bangalore to Dharwad, you will find at least 20 toll gates,” he said. 
