[unoczar]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

a truck doing 12kmph overtaking another at 11kmph.

i can share the same emotion, friend. But, don't lose your patience there with those truckers! Better stay away from them.

On the other hand, what i seriously hate is that you are forced to pay tolls, if the toll guys tell you, "boss, this is our expenditure here, and we have no way to recover this money except by charging the users, however, you can pay this rs.x amount or you can go free"

How many of us would pay the amount?

[josepeter]

Save Rs.50/- @ the first toll booth on the Salem - Bangalore highway.

Take the last pocket road on your left just before the toll gates; this road conveniently bypasses the toll booth; you join back on the highway in a kilometer or so.

PS: This was an accidental discovery; we were diverted onto this road cause some political donothings blocked the toll gate a few days back.

Enjoy!!

[csentil]

To Avoid tolls from Bangalore to Chennai

To avoid all tolls till Ranipet on the Bangalore - Chennai highway, take NH4 via Kolar - Mulbagal - Palmaner - Chitoor - Ranipet. You will save (25+35+45) and also knock off 25kms+ in the total distance!! Bangalore - Mulbagal is being 4 laned so you might have tolls come up there as well soon.

You can also deviate at Chitoor towards Sholingur - Arakonnam -Thiruvallur - Chennai and not pay any toll at all. (I've had one No permit Travels guy do this once)

To Avoid Krishnagiri and other tolls upto Salem

To avoid Krishnagiri toll if you are travelling towards Dharmapuri take the Hosur - Rayakottai - Palakodu - Dharmapuri route. Again this is shorter by 20 kms but two lane.

If you want to knock off the Thoppur toll as well, then take Hosur - Rayakottai - Palakodu - Papparapatti - Pennagaram - Mechari - Omalur - Salem. Distance wise the same, but you drive through beautiful countryside and small valleys.

Bangalore - Coimbatore

If you are going to Coimbatore from Bangalore then just take the many alternative routes that are there. Bangalore - Mysore - Chamrajnagar - Sathy - Coimbatore or
Bangalore - Hosur - Palakodu - Pennagaram - Mechari - Mettur - Ammapettai - Andhiyur - Sathy - Coimbatore.

[unoczar]

i would like to thank everybody for contributing. Thank you!

Could we also have clarity on if there's a way to come back without going through the toll gates?

Ex: if you're doing bangalore-chennai and avoiding the toll, is there a road to avoid it while coming back as well?

[RGK]

I have interacted with NHAI project directors some time back.
-There are lot of projects pending due to land acquisition there by affecting the contractors the timeline and starting a new project
-When I asked about a single toll and giving free access throughout the stretch, the nhai guy said due to multiple contract given to various contractors for the same stretch this is not possible.
If I travel from Chennai to Bangalore and pay the full amount at the first toll, I should have the easy access at the all the tolls till I reach bangalore. This is not possible because of various contractors share a single highway. The unified system if introduced will save more time.
-The rates are arrived based on distance and the year of maintenance.
-For 320km distance between chennai to trichy I pay around 195/-.
-The new highways save suspension wear & tear, fuel & time. But the toll money spend is equal to the cost of fuel spent if toll roads are avoided.
- I do not think there are always ordinary roads available for all NH's to avoid toll. At one point you need to travel a stretch in the NH or you may need to detour a lot.
-Toll roads increase more wear & tear on Tires & engine piston rings than ordinary roads.
-The toll rates should be made transparent to road users.
My question is where the road taxes collected from us spent.

[NST440]

The basic things i guess are:

1.Tolls are way too high vis a vis the development.
2.The time taken at tolls is excruciating.
3.The manners shown by toll collectors is too commanding.
4.It feels being a car owner is a curse when one sees two wheelers passing without toll.
5.Ever increasing toll rates, it really hurts.
6.Piling up the toll receipts for future use is such a headache in case of return trips.

[idea1979]

Originally Posted by sushantr5

I pay Rs.122 for 160 KMs. By standards this is too huge for me. This is cumulative cost from 3 tolls I pay to travel Karad to Pune on NH4. One toll Naka is near karad and it charges Rs.52 for single pass. No whole day or return pass is available on that Toll. Over this, This toll naka is always congested inturn I loose time which is saved by fast roads.

Ahh. I have been driving on this route since there was almost no toll. And now its terrible. There are so many tolls on this route which kills driving pleasure in addition to total toll expenditure.

But tolls are reality and lets face it. I dont understand why dont they have card (Credit/debit) facility to avoid change issues which also adds to congestion and long lines.

A step ahead, what i have noted in Dubai , automatic scanner which automatically debits toll amount from your prepaid toll card. No need to stop, no need to employ/build toll plaza's !!

[aa_asif]

From Silk board junction (Bangalore) till Avinashi (Tamilnadu) via Hosur Road has 4 tolls plazas which is distributed in roughly 350 kms. The total cost would come upto Rs.120!!

[mmxylorider]

I had recently gone to Lohagarh (near Lonavala) from Pune. Route was old NH4, paid toll twice till Lonavala with the route via Mulshi dam road. Return trip from Lohagarh was along the Pawna backwaters, extremely scenic and had a choice to exit at Kamshet or Somatne or Paud with the last option being the zero toll option. Good roads. Not sure how many kms it would added to the direct route via NH4.

OT Personally, I prefer the old NH4 as opposed to the E-way. Reasons as follows:
1. Very less car traffic (mostly local, BOM-PUN cars prefer e-way with higher speeds)
2. No long distance truck traffic. Now that NH4 is also toll, truckers prefer paying and using the e-way instead of pocketing the toll money and taking the NH4 as was the practice earlier.
3. No pvt buses. Only local service ST buses.
4. Tar roads - smoother ride, tyre noise.
5. flexibility to stop for tea at multiple places. Tony da dhaba

[dmaheshkumar]

Hi,
As @csentil said that was the way to avoid toll gates.

Bnglr-hosur (toll gate 20 rs) - To avoid we can go via attibele(right turn)-TVS Nagar - Hosur (4 kms extra to reach the Hosur).

Hosur to Krishnagiri (25rs).

Krishnagiri To Thoppur toll gate (60 Rs) . To avoid we can go till thoppur toll gate,There will be one way near the A2B.If you take that way u can reach near the police quarters after the toll gate.


From there there is a choice of going via Mettur and OMalur.
Mettur way is the same like thoppur-mechri-mettur-ammapettai-Bhavani.
Another way.
Thoppur-Omalur-sankagiri-bhavani.

Next from bhavani we can go via thudupathi-kunnathur-permanallur,avinashi-coimbatore.

Another way :Ammapettai,anthiyur,athanni,parriyur,Gobichettipa layam-permanallur,avinashi,CBE.(Newly laid Road).Full of paddi fields.

All the way are only 10-20 kms difference.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by aa_asif

From Silk board junction (Bangalore) till Avinashi (Tamilnadu) via Hosur Road has 4 tolls plazas which is distributed in roughly 350 kms. The total cost would come upto Rs.120!!

Attibelle, Krishnagiri, Thoppur, Omallur & Perunthurai. There are five if you skip Electronic city fly over.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by RGK

-Toll roads increase more wear & tear on Tires & engine piston rings than ordinary roads.

What??!!!! How???

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Attibelle, Krishnagiri, Thoppur, Omallur & Perunthurai. There are five if you skip Electronic city fly over.

Originally Posted by aa_asif

From Silk board junction (Bangalore) till Avinashi (Tamilnadu) via Hosur Road has 4 tolls plazas which is distributed in roughly 350 kms. The total cost would come upto Rs.120!!

found any route to avoid them?

Originally Posted by fine69

What??!!!! How???

yes, how?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by csentil

Bangalore - Mulbagal is being 4 laned so you might have tolls come up there as well soon.

You can avoid one section on this as well. Go vial Sarjapur/Malur/Kolar (nice SH). Brings you on to NH4 right before the bypass begins.

[aa_asif]

Originally Posted by RGK

-Toll roads increase more wear & tear on Tires & engine piston rings than ordinary roads.

Toll roads and wear on piston rings???!!! Could you elaborate this point?

and I believe wear & tear on tyres would be less on Toll roads with better road layout, less number of curves, speed breakers and less or no junctions.