[GTO]

Thanks to Shyam for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Dear Team-BHP,

Request your help/discussion in the below issue.

For more than 2 years, there is a Toll plaza in operation at Surathkal (NH66) and the information related to this plaza is not available in the Govt Toll information portal (URL: http://www.nhtis.org/).

This toll plaza first started in a small makeover shed, then became bigger & stronger over the course of time. Initially, goons (non-localites & different language speaking) were employed to enforce the charges to locals. There was a concession to locals in the election months, but now it's business as usual.

Moreover this toll plaza is very unscientific for the below reasons:

- This toll plaza operates right in between 2 major coastal cities (Mangalore ~ Udupi) which are 60 km apart.

- There is an immediate toll plaza at a distance of just 10 km from this one.

- The people living in between these two toll plazas are blocked from both sides.

- The road built/maintained by this plaza is of poor standards resulting in road mishaps (available at YouTube).

Attached here is a screengrab of the Toll information system wherein we can clearly observe there is no mention of the Surathkal Toll plaza. Also attached is a recent receipt of the toll fee paid at this toll plaza.

I kindly request this forum to address this issue and help to get some solution on whether this toll plaza is legal.

[speedmiester]

Looks like a local toll which does not come under the NHAI. Similar tolls are also present on the Hubli-Dharward bypass which does not come under NHAI.
Best course of action is to raise a ticket on Pgportal and also a direct complaint to NHAI on this. I am due to travel on this road next week. Will share my experience as well.

[samaspire]

This toll booth (I wouldn't call it a toll plaza because it's too crude) has been operational for a lot longer than 2 years - probably 5. It was supposed to be a temporary set up until the actual toll plaza at Hejamady was ready (12km from here).

But now the Surathkal Toll booth still collects toll along with the one at Hejamady. There is a lot of politics behind this. People have protested, held dharnas, resorted to voilence - but it does not seem to have any effect.

Isn't there a rule that 2 toll gates can't be closer than 60 km? On this stretch you will find 3 toll gates within 60 km. (There's another one at Sasthan, 48 kms from the Hejamady Toll Plaza)

[blackwasp]

I found the same toll in the NHAI website, but name of the Concessionaire is different.




Source: 1, 2.

[am1m]

This tamasha has been going on for some time, also discussed a couple of times on the forum: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post4492756 (The art of travelling between Bangalore - Mangalore/Udupi)

There have been so many flip-flops on the issue, it's obvious that local politicans and their goons are benefiting from this collection, so it is in their interests to continue:

https://www.google.com/search?q=toll...w=1280&bih=606

[deehunk]

A similar illegal toll plaza exists at Karnataka- TN border in Attibele. It was once raided by DC of Bangalore around 8 years back, the toll started operating again after few days.

[deehunk]

I have shared the Karnataka High court judgement copy related to this incident at Attibele Toll plaza.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by deehunk

A similar illegal toll plaza exists at Karnataka- TN border in Attibele. It was once raided by DC of Bangalore around 8 years back, the toll started operating again after few days.

Where exactly is this illegal toll plaza? The only tolls I have seen on that road is the one at the end of BETL flyover and the one at the TN-KA border at Attibele. Both of them seem to be NHAI plazas that accept Fastag.


Could you maybe pinpoint the location of this illegal plaza in relation to the BETL one and the Attibele one?


Thank you and cheers

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I have shared the Karnataka High court judgement copy related to this incident at Attibele Toll plaza.

Doesn't the judgement say that the toll booth is allowed?

[deehunk]

It was illegal and hence raided by DC in 2012, the lobby was so powerful that regulations were changed to accommodate such toll plazas. Where is the service road as per norms? We localites still not pay the tolls.

[SideView]

Originally Posted by tilt

Where exactly is this illegal toll plaza? The only tolls I have seen on that road is the one at the end of BETL flyover and the one at the TN-KA border at Attibele. Both of them seem to be NHAI plazas that accept Fastag.


Could you maybe pinpoint the location of this illegal plaza in relation to the BETL one and the Attibele one?


Thank you and cheers

He was talking about the attibelle one. Was illegal and became legal after due to political play in background.

[narayans80]

There are lots like this, and this might depend on the contract that was drafted before building. Hubli-Dharwad bypass, CBE bypass, Madurai Ring Road, NICE. Heck even Paranur whose section of highway has existed for 27 years now is still collecting toll.

[Aditya]

Thanks to Shyam for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Thanks a ton Team-BHP and Team for sharing this in forum.

I would like to add that this stretch is only 17.3 km long and still under construction. Work started around 2006!

Here is some additional information regarding the issue/protests/outrage available in different media:

Activists meet Dakshina Kannada DC Sasikanth Senthil at DC office on February 2019:
https://Youtu.be/hs1YA0ASkjE
None of the things that were discussed in this video with DC has been implemented.

Among the various protests, the recent one held in July 2019:
https://Youtu.be/Pv53edhG4yE

Local news channel reporting the state of the road:
https://Youtu.be/30NqSbRrDWA

ET / Mirror Now report:
https://Youtu.be/kpQgGBAZJYU

Article in The Hindu:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...10491.ece/amp/

Mangalore MP reaction (Current state ruling party president):
https://Youtu.be/Vn5oLq_uNnU

Facebook reactions:
http://www.facebook.com/story.php?st...scmts=scwspsdd

http://www.facebook.com/story.php?st...scmts=scwspsdd

http://www.facebook.com/story.php?st...scmts=scwspsdd

http://www.facebook.com/story.php?st...scmts=scwspsdd

http://www.facebook.com/story.php?st...scmts=scwspsdd

[Aditya]

Thanks to Nanda Kishore for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Hi Team-BHP,

This is Nanda Kishore. This is my first mail to Team-BHP.

I was browsing through the website and stumbled upon the thread with this subject line.

I never knew that there is an NHAI website that existed and we could search for toll plazas between two places. I want to inform you about a similar illegal plaza (if it is) on NH-7 between Kurnool and Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh). There are two toll plazas between them currently that are operational and both of them collect close to Rs. 100/-. I always wondered why they would collect close to Rs. 200/- for a 150 km stretch. Now I know that the toll plaza at / near Dhone (Amakathadu toll plaza) is either illegal or missing from the NHAI website. Once again thanks to Team-BHP.

I have attached a pic from the NHAI website, which shows only one Toll plaza near Gooty, whereas google maps (second attachment) shows a toll Plaza near Dhone.

Regards,

Nanda Kishore.

[mtnrajdeep]

If there are illegal toll plazas, then would Fastag work for them?

I would assume that Fastag will not be used as this data will get reported to NHAI. Is it safe to say that if Fastag works, then the toll plaza is not illegal?