‘Toll collection at Surathkal is daylight robbery’

Members of Karnataka Rashtra Samithi have urged NHAI to close the toll plaza at Surathkal.

The authorities had promised to stop the toll collection at Surathkal once Hejamady toll plaza begins collecting the toll. However, Surathkal toll plaza continued to collect toll by renewing the contract for toll collection every six months, Samithi president Amrith Shenoy told mediapersons on Monday.

“Why is NHAI renewing the contract for toll collection at Surathkal and allowing it to function illegally?. The authorities should reveal the amount collected at the toll for the past five years and the money spent on carrying out road repair works,” he added.

Distance matters

Shenoy said the distance between Hejamady in Dakshina Kannada and Saligrama toll in Udupi is 48 km.

The toll collected from vehicles at Hejmady is Rs 35, which works around 73 paise per kilometre. The distance between Surathkal and Hemajady toll is just 16-km and the toll amount of Rs 55 is collected in Surathkal--which is around Rs 3.43 per km.

The distance between Mangaluru and Surathkal is just 20-km. Thus, an exorbitant toll is collected at Surathkal which is illegal, he alleged.

It is daylight robbery of the vehicle users, he said and urged NHAI to clarify on the toll collected at Surathkal toll.

The Samithi will bring these issues to the notice of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nithin Gadkari.

Shenoy said, “If government does not spend money on national highways, then why should the roads be in the hands of national highway authority? It should be entrusted to the state government.”