Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: Motorists avoid fee by swerving into service road before toll booth near Kaniminike
The Hindu
NHAI official says some unknown persons opened a portion of the road giving access from the main carriageway to the service road, just before the toll booth near Kaniminike
After facing resistance from sections of motorists on the first day of toll collection on the newly-inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on March 14, officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) faced yet another challenge on March 15. A majority of the motorists heading from Bengaluru towards Mysuru avoided the toll plaza, near Kaniminike, by swerving into the service road.
Project Director of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway B.T. Sridhar told The Hindu that during the early morning hours of March 15, some unknown persons had opened a portion of the road giving access from the main carriageway to the service road, just before the toll plaza near Kaniminike.
“After coming from Kumbalgodu flyover, motorists are taking a left turn just before the toll plaza and entering the service road to avoid paying the toll fee. After using the service road for some distance, the motorists are returning to the main carriageway. There is loss of revenue due to this subversion. We urge motorists using the main carriageway to pay the toll fee as specified.”
The official added that work on the stretch of service road near the Christ Institute could not be completed due to a stay from a court. “Due to legal hurdles, we could not complete work on the service road for a stretch of 100 metres for close to three years. Now, the stay has been vacated. We will complete the work shortly. The unauthorised opening in the road will be closed.”
On the first day of toll collection on March 14, regular motorists from Bidadi, Ramanagaram and other areas who commute daily to Bengaluru demanded that authorities complete the service roads. There were also demands from commercial vehicle owners to reduce the toll fee.
KSRTC had transferred the burden of the toll on passengers by hiking the fare in the range of ₹10 to ₹20.
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