Double Toll collection on NH45. Any idea ?

supremeBaleno · 22nd August 2006, 15:45

I drove down to Kerala from Chennai on 12-Sep-06. After Tambaram, the road (toll road section of N45) is a dream till Tindivanam and at the toll gate, I paid the usual toll amount of 20/-. After driving many kms, reach the next toll gate, where we usually need to just show the toll paid receipt.

But the guy tells me that I need to pay another 20/- for the next stretch. I tell him that I have done this road many times and this is the first time I hear something like this. He says that a notification to this effect has come recently. I ask him for the notification and he says that he ran out of copies. I tell him, nothing doing without it. He waves me on, but adds that the rules have indeed changed. I wonder whether he was trying to con people using the road and drive on.

I return to Chennai on 20-Sep-06 and again pay 20/- at the 1st gate. No one mentions anything about having to pay again at the next gate. At the next gate, I show the receipt, but the guys says I need to pay another 20 bucks for the next stretch. On demand, he shows a tattered photostat copy of a notification with a one-liner mentioning collection of toll for the 2 stretches separately. Have to pay 20bucks. I can see the other vehicles also coughing up the 2nd toll, after some initial disbelief and arguments.

Get the receipt and see that the car regn number is different on both receipts. The 1st receipt had the full and correct number, while the 2nd one has just the last 4-digits and that too wrong by a digit. Looks kind of deliberate to me and I go back and ask. He offers to correct it with a pen.
Since I was too tired after the long journey and it was like midnight, I leave it at that.

Any idea whether this is genuine or are these guys taking us for a ride ?
I mean, all this time, they charged only 20 for the whole stretch and then one fine day double the toll. Is it correct ?

n_aditya · 22nd August 2006, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

I drove down to Kerala from Chennai on 12-Sep-06.

wake up dude... it's only a dream....

supremeBaleno · 22nd August 2006, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

wake up dude... it's only a dream....

Oops, sorry. That was a typo. Should read as 12-Aug-06 and returned on 20-Aug-06. Initially, I had "ECR" in the subject line, instead of NH45. But caught that within the time allowed for Editing. And now this ...
What the hell was I smoking when I posted this thread ?

supremeBaleno · 31st August 2006, 19:45

No one did this toll-road stretch in the last couple of weeks ???

thalavoy · 31st August 2006, 21:32

I did. On my way from Chennai to Villupuram. The same thing happened when I travelled from Bangalore to Chennai. I had to pay toll thrice. The reason they said was toll is being collected once every 65 kms. Greedy contractors.

Siva

tifosikrishna · 1st September 2006, 04:52

supreme, i went upto thekkady on 11th of aug and returned on 16th. On 11th nobody even asked me to pay for the second time. But another vehicle which accompanied us had to pay twice.

On the way back, i was asked to pay once at tindivanam and then near chengelpet.When i asked him to show some official document to that effect and the toll collector's name, he backed off.

However the news is, there is been a official circular and a news item in some tamil daily about the hike in toll fares. It was effective from around independence day. I guess these guys were trying to take advantage of this and make some quick buck a couple of days before the official announcement.

22nd August 2006, 15:45	#1
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,546 Thanked: 2,697 Times View My Garage	Double Toll collection on NH45. Any idea ? I drove down to Kerala from Chennai on 12-Sep-06. After Tambaram, the road (toll road section of N45) is a dream till Tindivanam and at the toll gate, I paid the usual toll amount of 20/-. After driving many kms, reach the next toll gate, where we usually need to just show the toll paid receipt. But the guy tells me that I need to pay another 20/- for the next stretch. I tell him that I have done this road many times and this is the first time I hear something like this. He says that a notification to this effect has come recently. I ask him for the notification and he says that he ran out of copies. I tell him, nothing doing without it. He waves me on, but adds that the rules have indeed changed. I wonder whether he was trying to con people using the road and drive on. I return to Chennai on 20-Sep-06 and again pay 20/- at the 1st gate. No one mentions anything about having to pay again at the next gate. At the next gate, I show the receipt, but the guys says I need to pay another 20 bucks for the next stretch. On demand, he shows a tattered photostat copy of a notification with a one-liner mentioning collection of toll for the 2 stretches separately. Have to pay 20bucks. I can see the other vehicles also coughing up the 2nd toll, after some initial disbelief and arguments. Get the receipt and see that the car regn number is different on both receipts. The 1st receipt had the full and correct number, while the 2nd one has just the last 4-digits and that too wrong by a digit. Looks kind of deliberate to me and I go back and ask. He offers to correct it with a pen. Since I was too tired after the long journey and it was like midnight, I leave it at that. Any idea whether this is genuine or are these guys taking us for a ride ? I mean, all this time, they charged only 20 for the whole stretch and then one fine day double the toll. Is it correct ? Last edited by supremeBaleno : 22nd August 2006 at 15:48.
	() Thanks

31st August 2006, 19:45	#4
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,546 Thanked: 2,697 Times View My Garage	No one did this toll-road stretch in the last couple of weeks ???
	() Thanks

31st August 2006, 21:32	#5
thalavoy BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 406 Thanked: 77 Times View My Garage	I did. On my way from Chennai to Villupuram. The same thing happened when I travelled from Bangalore to Chennai. I had to pay toll thrice. The reason they said was toll is being collected once every 65 kms. Greedy contractors. Siva
	() Thanks

1st September 2006, 04:52	#6
tifosikrishna BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: chennai Posts: 827 Thanked: 383 Times View My Garage	supreme, i went upto thekkady on 11th of aug and returned on 16th. On 11th nobody even asked me to pay for the second time. But another vehicle which accompanied us had to pay twice. On the way back, i was asked to pay once at tindivanam and then near chengelpet.When i asked him to show some official document to that effect and the toll collector's name, he backed off. However the news is, there is been a official circular and a news item in some tamil daily about the hike in toll fares. It was effective from around independence day. I guess these guys were trying to take advantage of this and make some quick buck a couple of days before the official announcement.
	() Thanks