[Shamegz]

Originally Posted by recshenoy

After rain stopped, no one bothered to repair the road and suddenly honorable Vice President of India graced the convocation at NITK engineering college (near to toll gate). The roads were repaired amidst heavy rain. They formed group of 3 contractors to make sure that all the roads are "fixed" in 3-4 days’ time as per order from DC. I hope he visits convocation every year so that roads are fixed, after all the common man of this country is there to pay taxes and tolls and not privileged enough to get a decent road.

At some places only one lane was repaired, after all the vehicle in which Honorable Vice President was travelling needed only one lane. Why should they care about daily commuters who have developed spondylitis due to this road.

According to data, traffic (PUC/Day) at this toll is 35000+ as on 18th Dec 2016 ,which has grown a lot by now.
Still the Care shown for Vice-president's convoy was more than the 35000 daily user.
Please do note the work to cater the Vice President was carried out in midst cyclone Kyrr and it didn't last long either after all it was done for 1 day 1 person basis.

This toll & the road is a dark spot on Mangalore which is otherwise calm & beautiful costal city.
This road signifies a lot about Govt & public:
1) The road (previously NH17) caused lot of deadly accident due to its poor condition & maintenance.
2) People protested for better infrastructure.
3)What Govt gave was a 10 year under-construction substandard road. With some flyover construction so miserable that people where doubtful on its usability when it gets ready. which again caused lot of trouble with loss of life (it is still under construction)
4)The Great Bellary Mining Scam's movement of Ore was carried out via road and NH17 was put to unusable condition by this time.
5)Nearly after 5+ years road started to take shape, this starts the toll operation and charged the people who actually asked for better road (Surathkal Toll Plaza)
6) Atleast with the hope of better road people compromised and started using the road (minor protest was done)
7)Taking people's silence for granted, the road was poorly maintained which again gets us back to point 1 only this time it is renamed to NH66.

The end user (the voter) has no rights in any decision making in any way of what Govt is offering .
The local politician are confident in both Misleading the public & winning upcoming elections in flying colours.
Every year system promises on better road, removal of toll both , none of them happen.

[Shamegz]

Talapady toll booth was shut down for a day to pressure the
Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. (NUTPL) for faster completion of work.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le30449285.ece

[Shamegz]

New update :

Now the Surathkal toll booth in Toll booth information system is moved away from actual location (only in map).

I don't see this as error, since this new location is almost near to sea, far away from Highway.

By doing this I can notice a addition of 5km from nearest toll booth.

This will make:
Hazamady ~ Surathkal toll booth distance = 15km (in map)
Real distance is 11Km...!

[samaspire]

Seriously?? How is this even possible?
Is there anything we can do rectify it? I can only imagine how high the corruption runs for this to be even possible.

[Shamegz]

Some development regarding removal of NITK-Surathkal Toll Plaza:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le33825736.ece

With the introduction of FasTag at toll gates, NHAI is withdrawing the concession offered to locally registered vehicles. From February 15, the NHAI proposes to collect toll from local motorists, including inter-city buses and taxis, at the Talapady, Surathkal and Hejmady toll gates on National Highway 66.

Talking to reporters, Muneer Katipalla, convenor of the Mulky Abhivrudhi Nagarika samiti, said that following agitation by the samiti in 2018 the State government proposed closure of the toll gate at Surthkal and merge it with the toll gate at Hejmady, which is nine kilometres away, on the National Highway 66. Though the Union Government agreed to the proposal, no action has been taken so far in merging the toll gates. Toll continues to be collected at the NIT-K toll gate by offering relaxation to Mangaluru motorists

Meanwhile, Mr. Kateel (Member of Parliament) has in a statement said that Mr. Gadkari has directed NHAI authorities to call a special meeting on the issue of closing the toll gate near NIT-K in Surathkal.

Memorandum
Concerned citizens in Dakshina Kannada submitted a memorandum to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari through MP and State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel in Mangaluru on Tuesday. Demanding immediate closure of the NITK-Surathkal Toll Plaza, they said that the presence of two toll plazas, one at Surathkal and the nother at Hejmady, within a distance of 15 km was against all tenets of natural justice.
Moreover, the plaza was located within the municipal limits of Mangaluru City Corporation and hence could not continue to exist, they said.

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/news...?newsID=802009

in a letter addressed to union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, demand has been made by citizens of Mangaluru to take immediate action over the illegal collection of toll at NITK, Suratkal on NH 66.
"We wish to bring to your kind notice that this toll gate is located within the limits of the corporation of the city of Mangaluru, moreover, there is one more toll gate at Hejamady which is less than 15 km north of the above mentioned Surathkal toll gate. Two toll gates within a distance of 15 km for whatever reasons are against all tenants of natural justice and causing great hardship and burden to not only the employees and citizen who have been commuting to and fro to various locations within the city for generations but also to self-employed people living in the city who operate small commercial vehicles to eke out a living in these difficult times. With the steep increase in fuel prices, day by day people are struggling to make a normal living and these kinds of illegal tolls are beyond their means," the letter stated.
The letter also listed demands of the citizens which includes cancellation of illegal toll at NITK, Surathkal, depositing the money collected by NH at the illegal toll back to MCC for development of service roads and proper lighting all along the NH that pass through the city, dismissing corrupt officials who are responsible for misleading the department and tendering the collection of toll at NITK etc.

The letter was submitted to BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

https://www.mangalorean.com/in-spite...rathkal-booth/

We the citizens of this City demand the following:

1. Cancellation of illegal Toll at NITK, Surathkal, Mangaluru
2. Money collected all these years by NH at this illegal Toll to be deposited back to Mangalore City Corporation for development of Service Roads and proper lighting all along the NH that passes through the City.
3. Dismiss the corrupt officials responsible for misleading the department and tendering the collection of Toll at NITK
Please take action on above demands and help the citizens of Mangaluru to restore normalcy.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Shamegz

Some development regarding removal of NITK-Surathkal Toll Plaza:

I just passed through the very much illegal Surathkal toll gate plaza yesterday(February 18, 2020). As usual, KA-19 registered private vehicles were being allowed free to go through the free lane and not being asked to pay the toll (both ways)
From Surathkal towards Mulky:



Return - From Surathkal towards Mangalore:



If the meaningless protests and "blame each other" circus by the MP & MLAs of the district previously are anything to by, nothing will happen to the Surathkal Toll gate and it will continue to function as it is, for obvious reasons!!!

Originally Posted by samaspire

Seriously?? How is this even possible?
Is there anything we can do rectify it? I can only imagine how high the corruption runs for this to be even possible.

Just imagine how corrupt and shameless the system has become to pull off a stunt like this!!! Just to prove the legality of an illegal toll plaza!!! The "new" location of the toll gate is very near to the rusting hulk of the dredging vessel MV Bhagvati Prem, that has been parked almost on the Surathkal beachhead.

[Shamegz]

According to this news report toll charges are now revised and applicable to talapady, Hejamady, and Sastan toll gates managed by Navayuga.

Officials said that revised rates for Brahmarakootlu and NITK toll gates would be published on April 1.

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/news...?newsID=818881

[Shamegz]

According to this local new report : Hejamadi village panchayat created a new road next to Toll booth and demanded that this road will be kept operational untill a order is passed with approval for villagers free movement.

https://nammakudlanews.com/hejamady-...he-tall-plaza/

[Shamegz]

There is a expalination for 2 Toll plaza within 10km of each other according to below response from NHAI authorities:

1. Surathkal User Fee Plaza collects the User fee for a tollable length of 16.762 km for the stretch of NH-66 from
Surathkal to Nanthoor under the New Mangalore Port Road Connectivity project as per the Gazette Notification
published by Government of India.
2. Hejamadi User Fee Plaza collects the User fee for a tollable length of 34.250 km for the stretch of NH-66 from
Kundapur to Surathkal under the 4-laning of Kundapur to Surathkal (DFBOT) project as per the Gazette Notification
published by Government of India.
3. The NH Fee Rules 2008 permits the construction of 2 User Fee Plazas within a distance of 60km if the adjoining
sections of the National Highway are constructed at different times in separate contracts having length of less than
60km

Further if we Check NHAI TIS FAQ : https://tis.nhai.gov.in/faq?language...ty%20of%20land
It states that :

What is normal minimum distance between two adjacent Toll Plazas?

As per the fee rules 2008 the spacing between two adjacent toll plazas should be 60 km. The broad reasons for establishing fee plaza within a distance of 60 kms are as under:
Availability of land
Availability of sufficient long line of sight for acceleration and deceleration zone.
Municipal limit/Town area limit from the fee plaza being established.
Location of bypass from the fee plaza being established.
Location of major diversions on the National Highways.
State boundaries and other check posts.
Existence of a fee plaza on the section of NH and length of new section to be tolled is below 60 kms.
Optimisation of revenue potential.
To make the project viable, two fee plazas are established in a project section of NH within 60kms distance.
The development work of the NH is considered as per requirements.
Therefore, two adjoining sections constructed at different time in separate contracts having length of less than 60 kms may have the fee plazas within 60 kms.
Distance between two adjacent toll plazas may be less than 60 km due to unavailability of land, traffic congestion or improper location etc.

Now these are 2 contradicting statements and clearly how a rule is manipulated for Government gain.

[samaspire]

Regarding point 2:
What is the Sasthan toll plaza for, in this case?
Isn't that in between Surathkal and Kundapur?

[Ashtoncastelino]

Just few hours I had been to Mangalore, since my car number plate is of KA51 , I have to pay both the tolls ( hejamadi and suratkal ) I feel paying the toll of suratkal makes absolutely no sense for the price and the road they have made and maintained from the toll till suratkal and also it being illegal. I always take the NITK beach route which goes infront of Red Rock Residency hotel.

As I was in a hurry today I thought of going through the suratkal toll , albeit last minute I moved my vehicle behind a KA19 vehicle which was going through the free lane and no one questioned me anything when I passed through. I did the same when returning today. Maybe I got lucky or maybe they were too tired to catch me.

Might not work with everyone and also cars which aren't Karnataka registered , don't take this risk

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Ashtoncastelino

Maybe I got lucky or maybe they were too tired to catch me.

I suppose you were lucky, as normally those boys sitting there are very vigilant and at any cost, do not let a non-KA-19 vehicle pass (unless they have a pass or a local residence proof).

Originally Posted by Ashtoncastelino

I always take the NITK beach route which goes infront of Red Rock Residency hotel.

Which route is this and where do you enter/exit on this route?

[Ashtoncastelino]

Apologies for the late reply skanchan95

Originally Posted by skanchan95

I suppose you were lucky, as normally those boys sitting there are very vigilant and at any cost, do not let a non-KA-19 vehicle pass (unless they have a pass or a local residence proof).

Yes, maybe I was, have done it thrice till now

Which route is this and where do you enter/exit on this route?

Just before you hit the toll when driving to Mangalore from Udupi there's a turn from the NH66 to Red Rock Residency which is on the right .You have to basically follow that road. I highly recommend NOT to take any low ground clearance car on this road as there are a bit of potholes and due to the Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021 this year, part of the road has been washed away, although at the end a mud road has been made by cars passing through there. When returning from Mangalore and driving to Udupi it is the same route that you have to drive back. Attaching photos of the G-Map Route and photos I took while passing through the NITK beach road.





Notice the left side in the above photo, that is the mud road which continues , you have to take a left and continue until you see a underpass bridge leading to NITK service road and turn right join back to the NH66 when going to Mangalore. All-together this adds 5 mins to your travel time.





And yes,that is my younger cousin being himself who goes crazy when he sees beaches.

[recshenoy]

This toll gate which is gateway to poorly maintained uneven roads, potholes, one way flyover and barricades has been renewed for another 3 month.

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/news...?newsID=895658

Surathkal toll gate had been set up near NITK by violating highway rules. There have been repeated promises to either merge or close the toll gate during the last several years. However, it is learnt that the toll gate contract has been extended by three months.

[skanchan95]

A unique way to protest against the Surathkal toll gate -

Mangaluru: Protest against Surathkal tollgate - Apatbandhava squats in slush
Fri, Feb 11 2022 12:03:30 PM

Mangaluru, Feb 11: The protest spearheaded by Asif Apatbandhava demanding to remove the tollgate functioning near NITK Surathkal entered the fourth day on Thursday February 10. This protest is being held without any break all the 24 hours of the day.

Leaders of various organizations who made a beeline for the spot where the protest is continuing in the morning, extended their support. Asif Apatbandhava got a pit dug especially for the purpose, got it filled with water, and protested in a unique manner by squatting and lying down in the slush.



Asif said that there is no question of withdrawing the protest demonstration till the tollgate here is closed down. He said that the unbroken protest being staged right from Monday onward is drawing support from leaders of organizations and the general public. He said that in the coming days he will undertake more dangerous adventures in an effort to draw the attention of the departments concerned towards the need to close this tollgate.

Asif has been insistent that the deputy commissioner of the district has to visit the spot and receive the memorandum. He stressed that there is no need for two tollgates within a distance of a few kilometres and warned that he will intensify the protest with the support of more organizations.

Surathkal police inspector Chandrappa, came to the spot and stated that the toll charges are collected as per the permission given by the union department of highways. He convinced the protestors that the union highways department alone can find a solution to this problem.

Link : Mangaluru: Protest against Surathkal tollgate - Apatbandhava squats in slush