The toll plazas on the National highways radiating from Chennai to the southern and western districts of Tamil Nadu came under a virtual siege on Saturday as hundreds of volunteers of the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), headed by the former MLA, T. Velmurugan, protested against the collection of “exorbitant” toll.
Right from the early hours, TVK volunteers marched towards the plazas located on the national highways, mainly in the northern districts, urging the authorities to scrap the toll collection as it not only caused the public inconvenience but also increased their travel costs disproportionately.
Mr. Velmurugan, who had broken away from the PMK, led the agitation at the Vikkiravandi plaza near Villupuram. Hundreds of the TVK workers courted arrest elsewhere as part of the State-wide agitation. At the plaza at Pallikonda, 20 km from Vellore, 68 members were arrested when they surrounded it and staged a demonstration.
More than 70 workers were taken into custody when they staged a protest at Omalur near Salem.
Mr. Velmurugan said the plazas were collecting hefty fees from the motorists, adding to their travel costs. Even those engaging taxis during exigencies would have to pay through their nose. He alleged that the toll did not seem to have any relevance to the kind of maintenance of the highways; certain stretches were crying for attention.
A person travelling by car from Madurai to Chennai would have to pass through at least 10 plazas, where he had to shell out Rs.1,000 a trip. Similarly, a person heading to Tiruchi from Chennai and from Cuddalore to Chennai would have to cross at least three plazas, making their journey dearer by Rs. 320 and Rs. 150 respectively.
Mr. Velmurugan said the staff manning the plazas lacked courtesy and would halt the vehicles of party workers forming part of their leaders’ convoys for toll collection. Only some categories of road-users were exempted from the toll. The government should take over the maintenance of highways and shut down the plazas.
All the arrested were released later.
