Imposition of toll ahead of the completion of the widening works along the Walayar-Vadakkancherry stretch of National Highway 544 linking Salem with Kochi has kicked up a row.
The Lorry Owners Welfare Federation said the toll collection was a violation of the rights of commuters. Palakkad-based rights organisation Janasamskrithi termed the move as discriminatory as the said section of the road did not meet motorway specifications defined by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It also expressed concern over unscientific road-crossings allowed in many points between Walayar and Chandranagar.
It was on Wednesday that Walayar Tollways Private Limited declared that it would collect toll from road users from Friday along the 46.75-km stretch.
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Cars, jeeps, and vans will have to pay Rs.45 for a single journey and Rs.70 for up and down on the same day. The local community said the exorbitant rate was fixed without consulting people’s representatives and in an arbitrary manner. The toll plaza at Pampampallam, near Walayar, will collect the toll.
Some bridges are still under construction. Dividers are yet to be installed in several parts.
The company claimed that it had already completed 90 per cent of the works. The NHAI rules allowed collection of toll after completing 75 per cent of works, it said.
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As per the tariff set by the company, local people have to collect monthly passes by paying Rs.230 to use vehicles in the stretch. Residents’ associations said usually local communities were exempted from paying the toll.
Cars, jeeps, and vans will have to pay Rs.45 for a single journey.