Toll plaza construction work: Villagers demand bus shelter at Talapady

The vehicles from Karnataka will have to pay toll to travel to Kerala once the work on the toll booth at Talapady completes and the government notifies it.

The toll booth is being constructed as a part of four-laning of the National Highway from Kundapur to Talapady. The road leading to the toll booth is concreted. As many as 10 counters – five on each side – have been constructed for collecting road users’ fee. Two weighbridge, police outpost, a first aid centre and separate toilets for men and women have also been constructed nearby.

CCTV camera will be installed at the toll booth to check illegalities.  As a part of the widening of NH 66, a full-fledged road is being laid by the Talapady Junction. With lack of the facility of proper stormwater drains, rainwater flows on the road, thus causing inconvenience to the road users.

While widening the road at Talapady Junction, a temporary bus shelter has been pulled down. Even the autorickshaw parking space has also been concreted.

Even after laying the road, neither the shelter nor the parking area has been built. More than 30 private buses from Mangaluru to Talapady, over 100 buses from Talapady to different parts of Kasargod district and buses from Mangaluru to Kasargod stop at Talapady.

Without a proper bus shelter, the buses have to stop by the road itself. Also, students and passengers have to stand right by the road to board the buses. For the students, crossing the road to board buses at the stop too is a constant ordeal.

Talapady Gram Panchayat former president Jayaraj Talapady said, “There was a bus shelter at Talapady for the last 30 years. Now with the widening of the road, even the stormwater drains have been closed. Now, the passengers are put to risk their lives.”
John Rebello, an auto driver said, “There is no space for the parking of autorickshaws. Without shelter, the people have to wait for the bus in the sun. There is no one to
listen to the woes of the passengers.”

Ibrahim, a paper agent said, “The work on bus shelter should be taken up at the earliest.”