Toll collection temporarily postponed

Team Udayavani, Aug 17, 2018, 4:30 PM IST

• Intense protest at Sastan , Hejmady
• Toll for KA 20 vehicles too
• Toll within 500 meters!

Kota/ Hejmady: The Navayuga Company’s action to collect toll even from the localities on national highway 66 has attracted intense opposition from the localities, national highway activists and many other groups.

On Thursday, as the Company was getting ready to collect toll at Kota and Hejmady in Padubidri scores of people started grouping and started protest against the company. As the company was collecting tolls on both the locations, police and tashildars rushed to the location and tried to solve the problem.

After talks, the final decision was taken only after a meeting at the district commissioners on the toll collection issue. Until then, it was decided before the officials status quo will be held at the toll gates ay Hejmady and Sastan.

Toll for KA 20 vehicles too

Since the last year, free passage was provided to KA 20 vehicles. Due to this, the company has suffered Rs. 200 crore in loss and hence, the company is demanding the government to payback its loss. In this backdrop it is being said that toll was being collected from all vehicles in the presence of police security.

Free entry should be provided

“It is not right to spontaneously start collecting toll without gaining the faith of the localities and until the highway work is not complete, we will not allow the collection of toll for any reason. Even after that, free entry should be provided to commercial vehicles within 5 kms and for other vehicles within 8kms limits. The fight will carry on in this regard,” informed Pratap Shetty, President of highway awareness committee.

Toll within 500 meters!

If the new rule is passed, toll will have to be paid even for travelling a minor distance of 500 meters. The localities fear that they will have to pay toll even for filling fuel for their vehicles and for getting groceries.