Toll booth near Bangalore airport is daylight robbery: Cabbies

Bangalore: Taxi owners and drivers in the city have threatened to go on a strike protesting against the newly constructed toll booth at the Bangalore International Airport entrance.
Calling it a “daylight robbery”, GR Shanmugappa, president of the All India Motor Transport Congress said, “Nearly 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles go to the airport every day. Instead of constructing the toll booth at the main road, it has been constructed closer to the airport as the collection will be much more here. This is not fair as those travelling to the airport will actually use only about 6 km to 7 km of the entire stretch.”
According to RK Holla, general secretary of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association, the toll being collected by Navayuga Constructions Pvt Ltd has flouted many rules.
“According to the rules of the NHAI, toll can be collected every 60 km from the city. The Sadarahalli gate, where the toll booth has been constructed, is only 30 km from the city. The 60th km is actually nearer to Chikkaballapur. Moreover the road work will actually take another three years to be completed, but the company has already started collecting toll. Apart from this, service roads or overbridges need to be provided which has also not been done,” he said.
Pointing out a number of problems with the toll booth, he said that the toll will only add to the burden on passengers as well as the tourist community.
25/03/11 Merlin Francis/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Mar 2011