BENGALURU: The toll collection for use of the six-lane road from Bengaluru-Nidaghatta of National Highway 275 linking Mysuru with Bengaluru has been deferred by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) till March 14.
No reasons were furnished by the NHAI for the decision of deferment of toll collection.
The toll collection will start after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the expressway on March 11 in Mandya districts.
However, it is said that travellers are unhappy with NHAI's decision to start toll collection since the rates were high and service roads of the Highway were ‘incomplete’. Earlier, the NHAI had decided to start toll collection at Kaniminike village in Bengaluru Urban district and also at Sheshagirihalli village in Ramanagar district from Tuesday at 8 am onwards.
There were divergent reasons for toll collection deferment, the Project Director B.T. Sridhara said and added that toll collection has been deferred owing to “unavoidable” reasons.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member representing Mysuru-Kodagu seat Pratap Simha said “Toll collection has been deferred till the completion of service roads.”
A member of the Mysuru Travellers Association told Deccan Chronicle that “Deferment in toll collection is welcome. Otherwise, those opposing toll collection would have blocked the Highway bringing traffic to a halt causing problems for commuters.”
Regarding the toll fixation, the member of the Travellers Association was “okay” with the fee. For instance, a car/jeep/van will have to pay Rs 135 for a single journey on the six lane road of the National Highway while the fee comes down by 25 per cent to Rs 205 for return journey for the same types of vehicles.
For Light Commercial, Light Goods and Mini Buses, the fee notification says Rs 220 for a single journey and it is Rs 330 for the round journey, if the return journey is within 24-hours.
For buses and trucks (2 axle), single journey fee is Rs 460 while return journey is Rs 690 and similar fees have also been fixed for movement of 3 axle commercial vehicles, heavy construction machinery/ Earth Moving Equipment (4-6 axle). The fee for oversized vehicles, the notification said, is Rs 880 for a single journey and Rs 1315 for return journey.
