Amid opposition, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), started collecting 'User fee rate' ( toll) to use Express Highway of Bengaluru to Nidaghatta section (18th km to 74.2 km of NH-275) for a length of 55.63km from Tuesday.
They collected toll at the toll plaza in Kaniminike village (23.9th km) of Bengaluru Urban district and Sheshagirihalli village ((26.8th km)) of Ramanagara district of NH-275. Length of 570 meters from the starting point of the Express Highway near (Panchamukhi Ganesha temple) is excluded from toll.
For single way journey, they are collecting Rs 135 for car/jeep/van (Rs 205 for two way), Rs 220 for LGV/LCV/Mini bus(Rs 330 for two way), Rs 460 for truck/bus-two Axle (Rs 690 for two way), Rs 500 for three Axle commercial vehicles (Rs 750 for two day), Rs 720 for heavy construction machinery/earth moving equipment/MAV-four-six Axle (Rs 1080 for two way), Rs 880 for oversized vehicle-seven or more Axle (Rs 1315 for two way). They have fixed a separate slab of fee for local commercial vehicles registered within the district where the plaza is located. Also they have made provision for monthly passes for 50 single journeys in a month.
They have even offered a concession of 25 per cent discount for vehicles returning within 24 hours, 33 per cent for 50 single journeys a month and so on. They are charging ten times the normal fee for a vehicle which is loaded in excess of permissible load.
Meanwhile people objected to the toll, since there are no service roads yet. "When the Express Highway is built with taxpayers' money, why should they collect the toll again?" questioned Krishna, a goods van driver.
For any complaints one may contact 1033/080-29780089. For more details on toll, one can visit https:tis.nhai.gov.in.
Amid credit wars from different parties for Express Highway, former minister and BJP MLC A H Vishwanath batted for Congress and said that the credit should go to Congress. He also said that the project is unscientific, incomplete and objected to the toll. He said that he would take up a peaceful protest against the high toll on March 17.