Samiti to stage stir against Surathkal toll plaza on Sep 30

 

Surathkal, 28 Sep 2015: Protesting against the decision of commissioning the toll plaza at Surathkal (near NITK) from October 1 onwards, Surathkal Nagarika Horata Samiti has decided to stage a stir on September 30.

 

 

Samiti President Subhashchandra Shetty has said that the toll plaza will start collecting fee from October 1 violating the rules of the National Highway Authority of India.

 

He pointed that as per pertaining rules and Acts, the agencies must first provide proper service road, six path and poll collection windows, rest rooms for employees and adequate parking facilities for heavy vehicles. However, the toll plaza near NITK lacks all of this and with just a few cubicles in place, the NHAI is starting toll collection in a hurry.

 

He said that the Samiti members will stage a stir outside NITK on September 30 protesting against starting of the toll plaza itself and also the evident violation of rules.

 

Shetty said that while the Deputy Commissioner must visit the toll plaza and take note of the issues that have been raised by the Samiti, he must also take steps to merge the Surathkal toll plaza with the one coming up near Hejamady.

 

He urged the district administration to make sure that the toll plaza does not start functioning till the technical glitches are fixed.

 

Despite protests, Surathkal toll plaza to open from Oct 1

 

The widely opposed toll plaza at Surathkal (near NITK) will be functional despite the outcry, from October 1 onwards.

 

The fee for various vehicles have been finalised and the commuters will have to pay for the 18.362 km stretch from Surathkal to Nanthoor undertaken by Ircon India Private limited at an estimated cost of Rs 363 cr.

 

The fee for cars has been fixed at Rs 45 for one way and Rs 90 for two way in case the vehicle is to return on the same day.If a vehicle takes the route for more than 50 visits in a month then a monthly fee of Rs 1,510 is payable.

 

For heavy vehicles the fee has been fixed at Rs 75 for one way and Rs 110 for two way (return on same day).The monthly fee for heavy vehicles taking the stretch for more than 50 times a month is Rs 2,435.

 

Buses and trucks (two axle) will have to pay Rs 155 for one way and Rs 230 for two way (return on same day). The monthly fee for these vehicles plying more than 50 times a month is Rs 5,105.

 

Tri-Axle vehicles will have to pay Rs 165 for one way, Rs 250 for two way (return on same day). These vehicles can pay Rs 5,565 per month for 50 visits on the stretch.

 

Meanwhile Multi-axle vehicles, heavy construction vehicles and Earth Moving Vehicles will have to pay Rs 240 for one way and Rs 360 for two way (return on same day). A monthly 50 visits on the stretch would cost Rs 8,000 for these vehicles.

 

Vehicles with more than 7 axles will have to shell out Rs 290 for one way, Rs 440 for two way and Rs 9740 for monthly 50 visits.

 

The opening of the toll will surely put the daily commuters using their private vehicles to ply between places in and around Mangaluru to Kundapur, Manipal in lurch.