Samiti, bus drivers protest toll collection at Hejamady

The opening of tollgate at Hejamady Old MBC Road has not gone well with the local residents and the bus drivers, who staged a protest under the banner of Rashtriya Heddari Horata Samithi against the toll collection on Sunday.

Navayug company was incurring heavy losses after the motorists, in a bid to avoid the toll, started using Hejamady Old MBC Road. Hence, the authorities installed a toll gate on the said road in Hejamady.

Opposing the toll, the bus drivers of service buses staged a protest for two hours.

The agitating drivers relented after the authorities rushed to the spot promised them of holding talks with the representatives of the company and the officials concerned on exempting toll fee for service buses.

The protesters said that toll collection commenced without any prior notice.

The toll has been causing inconvenience to the motorists. It is not right to collect toll, when the Navayug company has failed to fulfil the demands of the local gram panchayat. The toll should not be collected till month-end.

The protesters urged the Navayug company to repair the PWD road where toll plaza has been installed.

A skywalk should be constructed near Hejamady Mahalingeshwara Temple, service road should be laid from Kannangar bypass, they sought.