Protests are being held against the collection of toll on Mysuru-Bengaluru Express Highway, on Nidaghatta-Bengaluru stretch, from March 14. However, people have unconditionally surrendered to their fate and the authorities concerned, and are paying the toll on National Highway 766 -- on both Nanjangud Road and also, on T Narsipur Road side, which are within a distance of just 35 km, say activists.
The NH 766 does not have any ‘service road’ and the toll is mandatory on all road users. It can be noted that the minimum distance between two toll plazas must be 60 km, as per NH Fee Rules, 2008, they point out.
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Even ruling party MLC A H Vishwanath, along with Congress, farmer and Dalit leaders, staged a protest against the toll, at the Ring Road junction on the Expressway in Mysuru, on Friday (March 17). Several protests have been held since March 12, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Expressway. Earlier too, since it was announced that the toll collection will start on March 14, there have been demands that the toll collection should start once the service roads are ready for use on the entire stretch of 118 km.
It is supposed to be a 10-lane Expressway, comprising two-lane service roads in both directions. However, the completion of the service roads is expected to take another year. Besides, major parts of the old bypassed roads have not been restored, leaving the road users inconvenienced.
V Sriprasad, vice-president, OBC wing, Mysuru district BJP, said the problem on the NH 766 is much neglected. “Nobody is asking, why is there no service road on this NH, which passes via both T Narsipur and Nanjangud towns in different directions, before culminating at Chamarajanagar city. Besides, nobody is asking why a toll is collected for such a sub-standard NH,” he said.
Members of a few farmers’ organisations demand that the toll collection at K N Hundi on Nanjangud Road, National Highway 766, be suspended till the problems at the plaza and on the road are solved. They staged a protest in the first week of February. But, it was not much talked about.
They alleged that the toll collection is a violation of the norms of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) itself, as the quality of the road is not good and the facilities mandated are not provided.
“As per the norms, a vehicle should not wait for more than a stipulated time, in seconds, at the toll plaza, for waiting for payment of toll, payment of toll and clearance for exit. But, the vehicles are made to wait for longer duration,” said Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Raitha Parva president Arun Kumar.
“There is no service road for the use of those living in the neighbourhood, thus they are also forced to pay the toll. Basic amenities, like toilet or tow-vehicle are not available in the toll plaza. Even though ambulance is there, it is not functioning properly. Calls to the numbers given for enquiry are not answered,” said Raitha Parva vice-president Y L Naveen Kumar.
Mysuru district president of Raitha Parva Basavaraju demanded that the toll collection at KN Hundi be stopped immediately. “Details of the contractor, tender amount, etc should be displayed at the plaza. The service road should be repaired and made motorable. Then the toll can be collected,” he said.
Girish Aradhya, a business executive, a frequent user of the highway, said that the staff at the toll plaza are corrupt and arrogant. “They extort money from those who do not have FASTag or from those who are not proficient about the functioning of FASTag. They charge them as per their whims and fancies and do not respond properly to the queries about the difference in the amount mentioned in the receipt,” he said.
Sriprasad said that there are two toll plazas on NH 766 -- one at Yedathore near T Narsipur and the other at KN Hundi near Nanjangud at a distance of just 35 km.
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