[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by noopster

It's a matter of shame that the authorities don't do anything about this. I know for a fact that residents of apartment buildings along Paud Road do NOT have to pay the toll, which just seems ridiculous to me. There has to be a consistent policy with no exceptions for everybody.

Really? how do they know who lives on Paud road? or you mean to say the ones who live on Paud road after the toll booth?
I had put up a post on this thread when I traveled with a friend who has an apartment there and he didnt pay either. I think he had some kind of sticker on his windshield.

Originally Posted by idea

May be a Lavasa drive (without paying toll by anybpdy) and posting 5-10 mins protest at collection centre :-). Atleast they will not stop cars with TBHP stickers :-) henceforth for toll.

Good idea, we should do this. We need to get Monaro's truck or perhaps either of 1self's Hyundais to lead the convoy.

[Naturalist]

One more type of scam happened last month.

Toll amount on one of the NH7 Toll (Blr - Trichy) - Rs 58 for cars. I paid Rs.60, instead of giving Rs 2 as balance, he gave me 1 small candy. I am very sure this should not cost more than 25 paise if you buy in bulk.
Lets say approx 20,000 vehicles crossing this specific toll and 10,000 of them get these candies back.

10000 * 1.75(profit) = Rs 17,500 of looted money!

I shouted at him and after he gave me the balance in a 2 rupee coin. Folks never encourage this one.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Naturalist

I shouted at him and after he gave me the balance in a 2 rupee coin. Folks never encourage this one.

I remember trying to pay someone at a toll booth 5 bucks in chocolates when he tried to return me 2 chocolates. He sniggered and found a note as if on cue. You only have to refuse and they will do the next step.

If we have to bring about change, then we have to carry it with us!

[rajeshchand]

Though i have never experienced it anywhere, i cannot rule out the possibility considering how deep rooted corruption is in our system, but those automated boom barriers might not be very helpful for those corrupt to keep their system running for long.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by idea

Cant we do something about this? being a strong TBHP community in pune? May be a Lavasa drive (without paying toll by anybpdy) and posting 5-10 mins protest at collection centre :-). Atleast they will not stop cars with TBHP stickers :-) henceforth for toll.

No, I wouldn't advocate this. They may then target anyone with a Team-BHP sticker on it, whether that person was part of the original protest or not. This is not a solution- in fact it could lead to even more trouble.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Really? how do they know who lives on Paud road? or you mean to say the ones who live on Paud road after the toll booth?
I had put up a post on this thread when I traveled with a friend who has an apartment there and he didnt pay either. I think he had some kind of sticker on his windshield.

Yes that is exactly what I meant. You don't even need a sticker. One time the missus rolled down her window and told the guy in Marathi that we had a house in Forest Trails that we were going to see. No problems at all. But I am a litle risk averse and don't allow her to do that anymore

[faustus77]

Hi everybody
Here is a link to todays DNA about goons collecting toll at Lonavala.
It is sad that not only is the common man looted officially,now it is the unofficial loot.
Earlier in one of my posts I have mentioned that I was asked for rs70 at Shyok, for entry to Leh which was a good 20 km away.
I was alone but held my ground and drove away without paying

The big bad Lonavala loot
Regards

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by faustus77

The big bad Lonavala loot
Regards

We have encountered these thugs quite a few times on our trip to Lonavala. They are atleast 8-10 well built goons with their bikes ready to chase the people who zip past them without paying. On asking they show you some letter in Marathi and claim that it is the order of the mayor of the town to collect environment/ pollution tax from each car going towards tiger. It was just once that we could dodge them and saved 50 odd Rs. The rest of the time we were behind a line of cars and had no where to go.

[Waggy]

I've travelled B'lore-Chennai 'n' number of times and 've been roaming around Karnataka's highways and I've never ever encountered such issues with toffees/no bills/wrong regn. no bills ever (max would get receipts with invalid regn nos but I insist on getting receipts with my regn no. as my car is TN registered and I don't intend to stay in B'lore for very long).

There are instances where I've been issued with non-computerized receipts with NHAI logos at toll gates near Sriperumbathur and Vaniyambadi. I think the loot might be here by printing fake receipts - don't know how to tackle this in specific.

I used to get toffees for change at groceries stores and super markets (MK Ahamed/Safa). The first time, I collect them and second time, I tender their own toffes for change! Trust me - I've always been given proper change at these places since then!

NHAI appears to be publishing the list of roads where tolls are collected (read again - NATIONAL HIGHWAYS ONLY) on their website nhai.org. Following are the few links:

Agreements/Tenders with Contractors:
Welcome to NHAI

Stretches where toll is collected:
Welcome to NHAI
Welcome to NHAI

For complaints
Register Your Complaint

NHAI is present in Facebook too. I can see NHAI responding to majority of the complaints posted during the normal working days. Their page:
https://www.facebook.com/NHAI.INDIA

Hope these resources helps someone here.

[_raVan_]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Hi everybody
Here is a link to todays DNA about goons collecting toll at Lonavala.
It is sad that not only is the common man looted officially,now it is the unofficial loot.
The big bad Lonavala loot

This stanza is shocking from that DNA report!

And even the kids of these locals have a unique idea about enjoying themselves — like standing on a hillock off the Expressway and hurling stones on cars zipping past. The one who manages to smash a windshield of the Mercedes C250 is the winner of the day. I doubt if this con game will end anytime soon. By the time one batch of Mumbaikars wisen up to the loot in Lonavala, another batch of suckers is ready for a long drive to the hill station.

[idea]

Originally Posted by Waggy

There are instances where I've been issued with non-computerized receipts with NHAI logos at toll gates near Sriperumbathur and Vaniyambadi. I think the loot might be here by printing fake receipts - don't know how to tackle this in specific.

.

Solution is simple here. Toll with RFID.

RFID scanner reads card stuck in your windscreen and deducts money from it as per toll. Car need not have to stop at toll gate. You need to recharge it just like your mobile card. RTO penalty if card balance goes negative.

This will solve

- Accounting for money collected.
-illegal toll /toll working even after toll collection date is over
-over charging (Like at lonavala/Mahabaleshwar)
-pile up of vehicles at toll gates. (We lose crores of diesel and petrol by piling up at toll gate queues. Not to mention preceious time too)
-Black money channel by hiding toll collected.
- No exemtion for politiciains/favorism at toll.
-Change or Toffee issues which irates most of commuters.


Not sure why MNS is not going this way... May be they need some Techie's around to build proposals :-).

[Waggy]

Idea - Ideas for life. You seem to be very optimistic about our government!

I have OBU for my car for BETL and a smart card for Attibelle exit in Bangalore. The problem is every individual contractor (L&T, NICE, SOMA) have their own way of automating the tolls. What we need is a unified system that is Contractor/operator independent and I don't see the works for it anyway in near future. May be we t-bhpians can post it as a suggestion in NHAI website/facebook page (not just one post but flood them)

Originally Posted by idea

- No exemtion for politiciains/favorism at toll.
.

They're going to get free passes then

[selfdrive]

I think sometime earlier this week there was a protest on the Bandra Worli sealink bridge. A group of people flouted rules to ride bikes (banned on this bridge) and drive cars there without paying toll by waving party flags.

I saw a picture in a local daily that showed these people passing the toll gates as the cops looked on.

[Rehaan]

Dropping in this comment from Ankit Jain via Google+

Originally Posted by Ankit Jain

One of my friends had faced this issue on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. At the first toll booth while going towards Pune, he gave Rs. 165 for the full toll, took the reciept and proceeded. Once he reached the second toll and showed the reciept, it turned out to be a reciept for Rs. 99 only (Till lonavla). He got into an argument with the toll booth guy and finally left without paying.

Since I had heard this incident from him, I became cautious whenever I took the toll reciept from the booth and would always check the date and amount on the reciept. Last weekend while I was coming back to Pune, as usual I paid Rs. 165 for the toll ticket and gave it to my wife to verify. About a 100 feet ahead I realized its for Rs. 99 only. I parked the car on the side and went back to the booth and showed him the ticket. Without saying a thing he gave me another ticket for Rs. 165. There was no apology at all.

This made me think whether this is an ongoing scam, even though at a small scale. How many people really bother to check the toll ticket after getting it? After reaching the second toll booth if you find out you have been cheated, how many actually fight it out? Most people would just pay up again and be on their way.

Be alert guys, check the toll reciept before leaving the toll booth !!!

cya
R

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Dropping in this comment from Ankit Jain via Google+

I doubt if people would pay up again. The guy at the other toll booth could just let the guy go and then the guy at the first booth reciprocates the favour.
On one side this guy makes 66 rupees multiplied by the number of people let off. On the other side the other fellow makes a similar amount.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I doubt if people woild pay up again. The guy at the other toll booth could just let the guy go and then the guy at the first booth reciprocates the favour.

+1 to this.

The prime aspect is to garner the 66 Rs. Whether the vehicle ownerends up paying for the additional toll charges, doesn't really concern them as they will provide a receipt for it; the money goes to the government. In either situations the 66 Rs goes into the pocket.

Thankfully, I haven't observed the "chocolates in lieu of change" scam happening at the express highway. I guess it has more to do with the round toll charge figures than anything else.