From April 1, pay your way to airport

Bangalore: If paying huge taxes, commuting on bad roads and unbearable traffic were not bad enough in Bangalore, motorists heading for the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) will now have to cough up a toll tax from April 1.
Karnataka is already among the states with the highest taxes on automobiles and petroleum.
The decision of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to place a toll booth just a few kilometres before the airport (on the city side) on NH7 will force motorists heading for the airport to shell out money.
The density of traffic has increased a lot after the opening of the new airport.
While the road falls under the NHAI, street lights and other maintenance work are carried out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on the stretch.
A top official from the NHAI said the location of the toll booth and the cost are decided by the Central government and approved by the state government.
“This is a wrong move and it definitely burdens the common man. I will write a letter to the Central government to reconsider the location of the toll booth,” said R Ashok, State Transport and Home Minister.
The 22.12-km-long stretch was built by the NHAI at an estimated cost of `700 crore, but the tax payer, who has provided the funds for the road, would have to continue paying more for its maintenance.
Many residential layouts have also come up around the airport and there would be no concession even for the residents of this area.
29/03/11 ExpressBuzz

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Mar 2011