Get ready to pay toll to reach Kempegowda International airport

NHAI, NDTPL all set to put up toll booths towards KIA

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Navayuga Devanahalli Toll Plaza Ltd (NDTPL) will begin collecting toll for vehicles plying to the Kempegowda International Airport in the next couple of days.

So far, vehicle users were paying a toll only while returning from the airport.

NHAI project director R K Suryawansi told DH that new toll booths would be set up at the entry point. "These booths will become operational in the next two days," he said.

"Since the alternative road is open there will not be much traffic at the toll booths," Suryawansi added.

The NDTPL officials said that they are losing money after the state government opened the toll-free road.

During the initial days, NDTPL had put up booths on both sides. But after hundreds of passengers missed their flights due to traffic jams near the toll plaza, toll fee towards the airport was dropped.

Amarnath Reddy, NDTPL manager, told DH that they are losing at least Rs 20 lakh per day after the alternative road was opened.

Some vehicle users enter the toll road and exit from the alternative road to avoid paying a fee, he pointed out while explaining why they had decided to collect toll at the entry point too.

Reddy said that they are planning to block the road towards Begur from Sadahalli Gate on NH-7 as vehicles can come till the last signal on the toll road and take a right turn to touch the alternative road to reach the airport and the city.

G R Shanmugappa, general secretary, south zone, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), threatened to block the highway if NDTPL collects toll both ways.

K Radhakrishna Holla of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association said there the alternative road is not in a good condition and that the state government opened it in a hurry ahead of elections.

"The alternative road is dangerous and could lead to accidents. Paying Rs 85 to Rs 125 for a 12 km highway beyond BBMP limits is not worth it. There has been a continuous allocation in the budget from 2013-14 to develop roads at Baglur, Thanisandra, Budigere and Hosakote but the quality of the road is very bad," said Holla

Additional chief secretary (PWD) M Lakshminarayana said, "Now people have an option to go on a toll road or no-toll road and they can make a choice. It is left to the people to choose."

When asked about the low-quality of work on the alternative road to the airport, Lakshminarayana said there are various standards and every road cannot be compared to a National Highway.

However, BIAL spokesperson said the alternative road is not yet officially opened but the road was thrown open for traffic after cab drivers held a protest soon after the chief minister inaugurated it.