Toll collection begins on airport road

Dear journey

The toll booths at the trumpet flyover at Devanahalli resumed on Saturday, to the surprise of air passengers travelling into the City from the Bangalore International Airport.

The toll is being collected by the Navayuga Devanahalli Tollway Private Limited (NDTPL), a wing of the of Navayuga Constructions which has been entrusted with the elevated road project along the Bellary Road by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Toll Manager Srinivas said the collection of the user fee began at 8 am on Saturday. “As announced earlier, we are collecting user fee from vehicles coming from  the airport and the toll fares are fixed at 1.5 times the single journey. Once the construction of permanent booths is over, we will collect toll at the entry of the trumpet interchange itself,” he said. 

Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, tractors, ambulances, state and central government vehicles on official duty are exempted from the user fee. Navayuga officials said toll rates vary from Rs 20 to Rs 125 for a single journey depending on the type of vehicle. Similarly, monthly pass fares (limited to 50 single journeys) range from Rs 640 to Rs 4,150.

There were brief arguments between commuters and toll collectors, with few of the travellers being aware of the resumption of the toll collection. Babu N A, a delivery operator and a regular commuter to the BIA, said the collection of Rs 30 during every visit to airport was unfair. “It would have been ideal for the toll collection to begin once the elevated road project gets over. At least, we could save commuting time.”   

General secretary of Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners' Association Radhakrishna Holla said that the burden of the toll will be passed on to passengers.

A senior official from the BMTC said they were yet to take a call on whether to increase Vayu Vajra bus service fares to airport or not. “Every bus trip to airport will cost Rs 100 more in the form of user fee. Definitely, it’s a matter of financial concern for us,” he said.

‘Pass facility for people’

Toll officials said they have monthly pass facility for non-commercial vehicles of residents living in the 20 km vicinity of the toll plaza.

“Passes are being issued to people at Rs 200 per month and can be used for unlimited times. Vehicle owners will have to produce an identity proof and photo copy of the registration certificate (RC) book of the vehicle to avail passes,” said a staff with the toll office.