[manualManuel]

Originally Posted by kphilip

The biggest loot will be in the aroor bridge,cochin. The toll period has ended 5 years back i think but still they are collecting the toll.

So far lot of protest from people has come up but then there was no response from the government to stop it either.There's a hartal coming up on June 1st to protest on the illegal toll collection.

I think I used that bridge recently. As stated earlier in the thread, its one of those toll booths where they don't collect toll from you if you drive past without stopping.

The toll booth while entering Coimbatore from Palakkad also seem to have completed its term as well. If you drive past, you don't have to pay there too.

I think the authorities should start taking strict action against these illegal toll collections. Its not like the above mentioned toll booths are in some very isolated areas!

[xotiq]

During my recent BLR-HYD drive, i paid almost 350/- in toll, not once was there any hint of anything but good service at almost all toll plazas.

Also, all toll plazas prominently display the exempt list. Some toll plazas had a seperate channel for local pass vehicles and exempt ones.

[Marlon]

Originally Posted by deky

The responsibility of toll collection was given to the Army. In one day itself Army collected double the amount of taxes that the usual guys collected.

Good to know about this.

[mdsaab]

i had heard about quite a few toll plazas that are said to be illegal. They are still collecting toll from vehicles even though their license has expired or are illegal.
from what i have heard these particular toll plazas are on smaller roads and don't have automatic barriers.
I have narrowed down two of them and have tested toll plaza no.1 many times.
today i tried it out on toll plaza 2 and just drove through, no one said or did a thing.
both ways.
So i am thinking that what i have heard just might be true.

~NOTE~
Please don't try this, as the case can get ugly if it really is a valid toll plaza.
I myself am not comfortable doing the same, but needed to verify if this info is actually true.
Drive Safe! Don't break any rules.

[nvdisdesi]

Today on my way from Delhi to Manesar to the Maruti Plant i had to cross two toll booths. The one in Gurgaon for some reason charges a wierd amount of 21 rupees each way. I only had 100 rupees each time, and on both trip the attendant tried to jip me 10 rupees each time. I make this trip quite often but i never really paid attention until today. Usually i just collect my money whatever it be and leave as fast as possible.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by evilshantanu

Good logic there, but atleast on the highways controlled and monitored by NHAI's automated system, this is tough.

No, it is not tough. Number of times gate went up does not indicate toll paid. There are lots of vehicles on higways which do not pay toll. For example
Tractors, 3 wheelers, vip vehicles, police vehicles etc.,
So no automated system can curb this menace.Even if you somehow issue credit cards to all people and use this as mode of payment, even then there will be scam.
The toll operator will take some 10rs from you, and open the gate just as he would open the gate for a tractor.
A chor will do chori. Only if you can do "stick" he will be fixed. No automated system can fix these thieves.

[Got BHP?]

Toll plaza greatly improves national security. In a recent accident involving the mysterious death of one of the cabinet members of Tamil Nadu state, CBI officials confiscated the truck and its driver which was under suspicion after a detailed trail using the information log at toll plazas. The vehicle under scanner had traveled across 3 different states before it was impounded . People working at toll plaza have to diligent and responsible citizens, instead for personal gains they compromise national security and get away with it too .

[jealousdiamond]

Originally Posted by Got BHP?

Toll plaza greatly improves national security. .

Very well said . A minute observation at the toll plaza would reveal the fact to be true . I usually drive down from Pune - Jaipur and have seen on every toll there would be guy(s) sitting with a register and noting down vehicle liscence plate numbers , while we pay toll (usually after evening 10:30 hrs till early morning) They keep a log of all the vehicles plying by in those hours and hence are able to trace back in case an unlucky incident happens .

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by jealousdiamond

Very well said . A minute observation at the toll plaza would reveal the fact to be true . I usually drive down from Pune - Jaipur and have seen on every toll there would be guy(s) sitting with a register and noting down vehicle liscence plate numbers , while we pay toll (usually after evening 10:30 hrs till early morning) They keep a log of all the vehicles plying by in those hours and hence are able to trace back in case an unlucky incident happens .

Why all this. The number is entered into the system and appears on your coupon. So this sounds like a fall back to the manual operation days, and should be made redundant forthwith.

If fact good systems are now available which capture an image of the number plate and decode it in real time.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Got BHP?

Toll plaza greatly improves national security. In a recent accident involving the mysterious death of one of the cabinet members of Tamil Nadu state, CBI officials confiscated the truck and its driver which was under suspicion after a detailed trail using the information log at toll plazas. T.

How come the road accident of some politician is a matter of national security...? Sorry your argument totally went over my head.

[jealousdiamond]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Why all this. The number is entered into the system and appears on your coupon. So this sounds like a fall back to the manual operation days, and should be made redundant forthwith.

If fact good systems are now available which capture an image of the number plate and decode it in real time.

Exactly Sir , but this is what I observed while crossing the tolls late at night all the way through the GQ . Seems like some fall
back mechanism ,but thats what is seen during late night hours .

Originally Posted by tsk1979

How come the road accident of some politician is a matter of national security...? Sorry your argument totally went over my head.

Would have been better if termed as our Social Security

[kj302]

During our GQ drive on Mar 2010, in one of the toll booths some where in UP, we were made a unique offer. If we can give a ride to one of the staff of booth, we will get a pass through for this booth and the next one. No need to pay . Of course, we didn't oblige. This was a non automated booth.

But other than this aberration, I never found any ill-happening in any of the booths, in my 10000+ km of tolled road travels.

[gurudutt]

I have had a similar experience on Bangalore-Hydrabad highway (NH 44 i suppose). I was trying to dig out the exact amount of 50 Rs whilst having 30 Rs in my hand and the guy said he was ok with 30 bucks. I somehow smelt a rat and gave him 20 bucks more and demanded a receipt.

[Skyline GT-R]

I have not come across any fishy toll attendants till now.

I don't think the number of door opening instances can be used to calculate the amount because the amount varies for various vehicles.

There are exemptions for various categories (sometimes you can see those vehicle numbers sticked on the counter glass)

OT:

There was news in today's papers that Edappally (Kochi) to Mannuthy (Trichur) NH47 section will have electronic cards for regular travellers, centralized TV monitoring of main junctions, toll both & digital message boards to inform traffic jams, rains etc to road users.

Pray that the signboards/cameras are not destroyed in the regular hartals/bandh if ever they become operational.

[Turbanator]

I will be happy to give Toll Guy complete money even if he does not give a receipt at least some poor is going to earn something - what about the looters who charge Toll without giving proper roads - case in point NH1 - whole of the road is dug up but still Soma will want toll ..

Plus another observation - toll on NH is supposed to be based on some Kms but most of the times toll booths are planned to extract maximum benefits for toll companies and these are near exits / entry of major cities .