RTC passengers feel cheated

No relief from toll tax despite waiver by the Centre

APSRTC Regional Manager P. Rama Rao says since the corporation paid in advance certain amount towards toll fee every month, it was not possible for it to deduct it now.—File Photo

N. Murali Krishna bought a ticket at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station here for a Hyderabad-bound AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus. As the bus zoomed through the toll plazas en route without any interruption in the journey, it occurred to him that the Modi government had waived the toll taxes in the wake of demonetisation of high-value currency notes.

Mr. Murali Krishna ferreted out a crumpled ticket from his pocket and saw that the ticket fare included toll taxes. After disembarking, he approached the RTC enquiry counter and asked the staff why he was made to pay for the toll tax when the unmanned toll plazas did not collect the tax. The latter cited ‘software problem’ as the reason.

To ensure smooth traffic movement across all the highways and to provide relief to the cash-starved people who are queueing up outside bands and ATMs after Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes went out of circulation, the Modi government waived toll taxes, first till November 14 and then extended it till the midnight of November 18. The government had earlier decided to accept the withdrawn notes at toll plazas till November 11 midnight but it led to chaos in the absence of adequate change, causing massive traffic jams. This led to extension of the tax relief.

Pre-payment mode

When contacted, APSRTC Regional Manager P. Rama Rao admitted that the RTC was collecting the tax. Citing pre-payment mode of toll tax fee, he said since the corporation had paid in advance certain amount towards toll fee every month, it was not possible for it to deduct it now.

The RTC incurs expenses of Rs. 1.8 crore every month towards payment of toll fee in the Krishna region alone. “The tax depends on the distance and also the type of the bus. We have toll gates en route Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Chennai. For instance, the Hyderabad-bound buses pass through six toll gates,” he explains.

The toll fee relief extended by the Centre may have come handy for the RTC to some extent but people patronising the public sector transport are upset. “RTC officials should sort out their mode of payment for toll fee. Why should it deprive people of the benefit given by the Centre, especially in the wake of the severe cash crunch faced by everybody,” rues Hemangi Latha, a corporate employee.