[ssambyal1980]

The toll plazas are hot beds of scams and corruptions due to the following reasons:

1. Most of the highways are now being constructed on BOT basis i.e build operate and transfer, where the company which constructs the highway is entitled to operate it, thereby recovering the construction cost through tolls and when the cost is recovered, the responsibility of the operation is transferred to the local bodies i.e state PWD. In such cases a minimum time frame is set, say five years, within which the cost is to be recovered. Due to heavy traffic, the costs are many times recovered much earlier but still the commuters are charged. Also in many cases the toll plazas continue to function well beyond their expiry period, which is usually done due to political reasons.

2. Also many times the commuters are made to pay for bad roads. Despite collecting huge amount of tolls, the concerned authorities fail to maintain the highways. This is nothing but fleecing the already inconvenienced motorists. Due to this very reason the apex court has directed the NHAI that it cannot charge toll for bad roads.

[alavandar]

I clearly remember when Shri Khanduri was the Minister for Surface tpt under PM, Shri Vajpaee, the toll roads had come up. Then the toll booths were invariably manned by ex-service men who were very straight forward in toll collection without fear/ favour or excess charging. I had seen this in NHAI roads. But later, these collection booths (except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur!!)were given to private operators on contract, on the highest bidder basis (there is always a needle of suspicion that there were under hand dealings). Since then, even NHAI built operated roads, these booths are with private operators. Recently all booths in Tamil Nadu, including NHAI, have hiked the charges. Once the highway construction cost is recovered, which should be the case by now, it is only upkeep and maintenance, which should be a fraction of construction costs. So, what is the logic of hiking the toll charges periodically, is not clear. Is it to maintain/ enhance the profits or to fill the pockets of the officials-politicians nexus? (I still recollect, one paper news, one NHAI project deputy director, who was in charge of Hosur - Krishnagiri road) was arrested when caught red handed taking a bribe of Rs 3 lakhs from a toll road operator. God only knows what happened to the case later).

[ShaileshHinge]

I have had this experience three times at Airoli toll plaza. They dont return the correct change. if you pay 100 Rs and you get returns in 10 rs...do count it. I have found 10 Rs less twice before. on confronting the guy he immediately gives you 10 more rs so he kind of knows that he gave less change.

I have been thinking of writing this for a while, but have refrained thinking could be honest mistake. But yesterday again they did this to me. But for 1 Rs this time. i gave 100 rs and i got back 64 Rs. On asking the guy for 1 Rs he asked me to give exact 5 Rs change. I declined, and kind of confronted him asking for full change to be returned. He immediately got back the 1 Re.

So he had the change but was elluding to give it back. Imagine how many vehicles pass by and how many these guys are earning by duping the car owners like this.

most of us wont care for 1Rs or some may even not care for 10 Rs which is what is giving these guys the confidence to do this cheating.

I make it a point to count the exact change at every booth i travel through but have experienced this problem only at Airoli Plaza.

[JohnyBoy]

Originally Posted by ShaileshHinge

I have had this experience three times at Airoli toll plaza. They dont return the correct change. ...

most of us wont care for 1Rs or some may even not care for 10 Rs which is what is giving these guys the confidence to do this cheating.

...

Shailesh, I pass through Airoli plaza few times every week. Never had any bad experience. I have few friends coming through this every day and never heard them saying any similar experience.
I have seen the Re 1 thing - no change act - in several toll plazas, not just in Airoli.
Your experience may be because of one/few specific toll collectors.

[arnabchak]

BTW, Off topic, sometime back when the 56 tolls were closed, Mulund and Thane toll used to let MH 04 cars pass through.

However, have seen that this practice has stopped.
What is the actual scene?

Do we pay at Thane tollnaka or the thugs are looting again?

GHODLUR and other Thaneites, pls update!!

[ShaileshHinge]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

BTW, Off topic, sometime back when the 56 tolls were closed, Mulund and Thane toll used to let MH 04 cars pass through.

However, have seen that this practice has stopped.
What is the actual scene?

Do we pay at Thane tollnaka or the thugs are looting again?

GHODLUR and other Thaneites, pls update!!

a bit offtopic from me...

Just like the panvel citizens protested and got exempted from the kalamboli toll which eventually closed for cars, i think all Thaneites and Navi Mumbaikars should protest and get exemptions on Vashi, Airoli and Thane toll booths. This practice is present in all other toll boths in Maharashtra. MH14 is exempted on the pune nasik highway. MH46 on the Kalamboli.. So MH43 and MH04 should get exemptions too.

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by ShaileshHinge

a bit offtopic from me...

Just like the panvel citizens protested and got exempted from the kalamboli toll which eventually closed for cars, i think all Thaneites and Navi Mumbaikars should protest and get exemptions on Vashi, Airoli and Thane toll booths. This practice is present in all other toll boths in Maharashtra. MH14 is exempted on the pune nasik highway. MH46 on the Kalamboli.. So MH43 and MH04 should get exemptions too.

IIRC, Kalamboli toll has been exempted for tolls from Cars.
All cars car pass through without the toll.

Agreed that MH04 and MH43 should be exempted from Mulund/Thane and Airoli tolls respectively.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ShaileshHinge

I have had this experience three times at Airoli toll plaza. They dont return the correct change.

Used to pass through Airoli toll every weekend - for over two years - never faced issues, and I have given bills of various denominations - <100, 100, 500. Possibly a rare occurrence due to some new attendants.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

Do we pay at Thane tollnaka or the thugs are looting again?

Mulund toll was never exempt from the toll when the last circular regarding toll collection stoppage was issued. I have seen many a tolls being stopped in Maharashtra during my recent visit to Solapur and nearby areas. These tolls wore a deserted look.

There was supposed to be a ruling in November 2015 regarding the toll exemption for MH04 registered cars at Mulund toll and similar at Vashi and Airoli Toll. I guess this got conveniently buried, I guess its time to reignite it again.

Arnab by Thane tol are you referring to Ghodbunder road toll? If yes, then private cars are exempt from paying the toll. Its only commercial vehicles or heavy vehicles who still pay toll there.

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Mulund toll was never exempt from the toll when the last circular regarding toll collection stoppage was issued. I have seen many a tolls being stopped in Maharashtra during my recent visit to Solapur and nearby areas. These tolls wore a deserted look.

There was supposed to be a ruling in November 2015 regarding the toll exemption for MH04 registered cars at Mulund toll and similar at Vashi and Airoli Toll. I guess this got conveniently buried, I guess its time to reignite it again.

Arnab by Thane tol are you referring to Ghodbunder road toll? If yes, then private cars are exempt from paying the toll. Its only commercial vehicles or heavy vehicles who still pay toll there.

Thanks Girish

By Thane Toll, I meant the toll near Teen Hath Naka (the road that takes you to Mulund via LBS).

GB road toll has stopped thankfully.
Earlier, the toll collectors at Mulund checknaka used to let the MO04 pass without questions. Not the case anymore

[john.gt]

Scam unearthed at BETL. Employees were issuing duplicate tickets from handheld machines and pocketing the money.

Source : Bangalore Mirror

Seven employees of the Bangalore Elevated Tollway (BETL), which manages the toll plaza in Electronics City Phase I, have been accused of malpractice and cheating the company to the tune of Rs 5-10 lakh by ingeniously issuing duplicate receipts using the hand-held ticketing machines.

BETL employees behind issue of duplicate receipts
Ever bothered looking at the ticket or receipt handed over to you when you crossed a toll? No? Maybe it's time you started.
Seven employees of the Bangalore Elevated Tollway (BETL), which manages the toll plaza in Electronics City Phase I, have been accused of malpractice and cheating the company to the tune of Rs 5-10 lakh by ingeniously issuing duplicate receipts using the hand-held ticketing machines.
The accused have been identified as Shantha Raju, M Lakshmaiah, M Mallappa, Manjunath Rangaswamy, Ravi Kumar, Venkate Gowda, and Sunil Kumar KG, all working as either lane assistants or controllers.

How the fraud occurred
The method used to carry out this fraud was simple: right after a motorist was charged and issued a ticket/receipt, the persons directly in line behind them were also charged, but instead of being given a fresh receipt, they were issued a duplicate receipt for the first transaction.
So, if there were up to 50 transactions in one lane for one hour, only 25 would have been recorded by the systems, while the rest of the money would have been pocketed by the lane assistant. Another method used to trick commuters was by charging a two-wheeler riders the fee for a car, or a car driver the fee for a heavy transport vehicle.
The receipt issued, however, was for two- or four-wheelers, meaning the extra amount was pocketed by the lane controllers.
The scam was being carried out meticulously, and only during peak or rush hours, when there were long queues of motorists, making it less likely that anyone would stop to check their receipts or question the amount charged.

[gm_arun]

Originally Posted by john.gt

Scam unearthed at BETL. Employees were issuing duplicate tickets from handheld machines and pocketing the money.

Source : Bangalore Mirror

Hi John,

This has happened even to me in a toll booth on the way to arrakonam. But I made sure he gave me a correct receipt with my vehicle number on it. Before that he gave me an old receipt and told sir machine is not working.

In another toll in ulunderpet Salem bypass they took the money and told me to leave as the machine is stuck. I was like I didn't want them to pocket my money so waited till he gave a receipt printed from the adjacent booth.

Now a days they started giving ₹1 chocolate instead of real money. Don't know what is the logic in giving chocolate instead of money.

[sansvk]

These scams are another reason to speed up the Fast Tag initiative. At the end of the day it would help the toll operator, government and the customer.
With respect to chocolates, I have actually seen an improvement over the last 2 years with exact change being disbursed.

[gm_arun]

Originally Posted by sansvk

These scams are another reason to speed up the Fast Tag initiative. At the end of the day it would help the toll operator, government and the customer.
With respect to chocolates, I have actually seen an improvement over the last 2 years with exact change being disbursed.

Yeah. Waiting for that scheme to be launched and in operational condition in all the tolls on our highways.

That chocolate thing was a year back, that is when I started having exact changes so that it would be easy for me and the guy sitting at the toll plaza.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by gm_arun

Now a days they started giving ₹1 chocolate instead of real money. Don't know what is the logic in giving chocolate instead of money.

Originally Posted by gm_arun

That chocolate thing was a year back, that is when I started having exact changes so that it would be easy for me and the guy sitting at the toll plaza.

The chocolate thingy scam is still on in many toll booths. Have faced it many a times in the recent past in BETL and the NICE road toll booths.

For the past one year, I always have had a small stock of chocolates in the car, especially when I know am going to use one of these tolls.

So the routine goes like this: The attendant returns me the change & a chocolate(s). I give the whole lot back to him, handover a few chocolates from my stock and demand that he return me the original money and use chocolates for the toll. Thereafter, so far, all of them have returned me the full change albeit grumpily.

Dairy Milk doesn't attract ants etc (OT, strange no?) and hence most of the high denomination charges are nearly covered. If there is no such incidents, still the ride turns out to be sweet.