Taxi drivers in the City feel that the toll booth is likely to create an additional delay for passengers eager to catch their flights.
Currently, around 25,000 vehicles ply on National Highway-7 to reach the airport everyday. Despite the construction of ten toll booths, five on either side, it is felt that the placing of the toll booth just before the trumpet flyover was unnecessary.
Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is exactly 23 km from Bytarayanpura with no service roads or alternative roads connecting to the airport apart from NH-7. Commercial vehicles registered within the district will not be exempted from paying their toll.
The government has recently hiked the toll rate from Rs 1.40 per km to Rs 3.45 per km for multi-axle vehicles. Toll for cars, jeeps, vans and light motor vehicles has been raised from Rs 0.40 per km to Rs 0.65 per km.
Suresh Naidu, a taxi diver, points out that there is already a huge logjam that is created at the airport everyday due to the checking of cars done by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) staff. “The toll booth will only add to this delay,” he says.
Taxi drivers, in particular, have raised objections to the toll booth, as they feel they are already burdened by existing charges at BIA. KSTDC taxis currently shell out close to Rs 10,000 per month for their parking charges, insurance and installment payments every month.
Karnataka Tourist Motor Cab Maxi Owners’ Welfare Association has appealed to the BBMP to exempt them from paying the toll as it would hit them hard. Keeping the increasing traffic in mind, they want the plaza to be shifted after the airport so that it does not affect anyone commuting to the airport.
What people say...
“On an average one needs to cross four major signals, and now there will be additional delay due to the toll gates. We cannot reach on time either to pick up or drop passengers due to traffic. ”
Vasant, cab driver
“I work on two different shifts and BIA is my workplace; how can I pay twice everyday just for travelling in and out of the airport. This is very unfair.”
Ibrahim, Spicejet employee
“Some of the customers ask us to drive fast when they are late for their flight and we pay extra fine for crossing the speed limit for no fault of ours.”
Srinivas, cab diver
“Due to improper planning there is no access road for commercial passenger vehicles and commercial goods. The traffic is going to get unbearable.”
RadhaKrishna Holla, General Secretary of Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association
“All customers will be ready to pay the amount that is displayed on the meter. Toll charges cannot be collected by customers and most of the times we drive back in an empty car.”
Suresh Naidu, cab driver