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Old 22nd March 2021, 00:51   #1
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Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Requesting for suggestion from BHPians:

Prelude:

My Home town is exactly in between 2 toll booth : Surathkal toll booth and Hejamadi toll booth.
Distance : Surathkal toll booth <9 KM< My home >4 KM>Hejamadi toll booth.
Surathkal toll plaza started with a humble shed operation somewhere in 2016 and year on year became more prominent and Hejamadi toll booth started operation from 2018, which is a proper toll booth.

Both toll booth are situated in different district hence:

KA19 registered vehicle gets free pass at Surathkal toll booth only
KA20 registered vehicle gets free pass at Hejamadi toll booth only

Problem:

I purchased car in Bangalore . Purchasing car in hometown was not possible as it was out of stock. Registering car in hometown was considered but dropped as it was not feasible.

Now whenever we travel to hometown , entry, exit travelling to nearest city is not possible without toll fee. Basically only 10KM radius is possible without toll fee. We have to cross this toll booth every time and sometime multiple times in a same day as nearest city, services, friends and family are located in either side of this toll booths.

Currently I can take by-pass routes for Surathkal toll booth but it is not feasible always as it adds additional 15 minutes and bad roads. Hejamadi toll booth canot be by-passed as alternative is too long.

Surathkal Toll booth charge 80 on 2 way journey and Hejamadi toll booth charge 55 on 2 way journey. I checked Fastag monthly pass it costs 1800/month for Surathkal Toll booth and 1195/Month at Hejamadi toll booth.

Please let me know a practical solution for this scenario.

Last edited by GTO : 23rd March 2021 at 10:37. Reason: Adding some spacing between your paragraphs to improve readability
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Old 22nd March 2021, 08:23   #2
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
My Home town is exactly in between 2 toll booth : Surathkal toll booth and Hejamadi toll booth..
I believe the exemption is if you live within a distance from a toll-booth. Do check on this. The distance for exemption may not be much.

One option is to transfer your car to the nearest RTO. You can try showing that the car is local.

But not a likeable situation that.

Last edited by Sheel : 24th March 2021 at 10:49. Reason: Typo.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 08:38   #3
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

If you have given the address in the RC BOOK as the place between two tolls, you can get the exemption for both booths. I don't think that should be a problem at all.

All you need is
1. Address proof for the car owner(adhar or voter ID etc)
2. Same address mentioned in the RC book

Goto toll office and get exemption.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 08:47   #4
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
Distance : Surathkal toll booth <9 KM< My home >4 KM>Hejamadi toll booth.
Are you from Karnad, the ancestral town of Girish Karnad? My native place is 500m from the Hejamady toll, stuck between the toll and the district border. During lockdown, it was a major hassle for my relatives to visit other part of their town as they were stopped by cops at the toll gate, who think toll gate is the district border.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
KA19 registered vehicle gets free pass at Surathkal toll booth only
KA20 registered vehicle gets free pass at Hejamadi toll booth only
KA20 cars don't get free pass at Hejamady toll, my cars are KA20. That stopped two years ago. I doubt KA19 get free in Suratkal either. Only people with address proof of staying within 5kms get a free pass.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
Please let me know a practical solution for this scenario.
There is no escape. Unless you have POA of staying within 5kms of one of the toll gate, you will have to pay toll there.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 08:52   #5
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
My Home town is exactly in between 2 toll booth : Surathkal toll booth and Hejamadi toll booth.
Distance : Surathkal toll booth <9 KM< My home >4 KM>Hejamadi toll booth.
have to cross this toll booth sometime multiple times in a same day
by-pass routes for Surathkal toll adds additional 15 minutes and bad roads. Hejamadi toll booth canot be by-passed as alternative is too long.
I did an estimation of NIT-K to Koti Chennaya temple which essentially crosses both these tolls and the toll bypass added 7km and 15 minutes, which isn't too bad in my view. You know better since you use that route. Few points here:

1. Your local runs seem to require criss-crossing these tolls. Why don't you use a local exempted vehicle for your local runs? Also, I understand the return toll they charge is for multiple trips in the same day. Please check on that too.

2. I've bypassed several tolls in TN and GJ and can safely say that some bypasses are just not worth it eg.Karjan Toll 30km from Vadodara because they will cost you more w.r.t vehicle maintenance due to throny shrubs, bad roads etc. However some bypasses are really worth it eg. Tirumangalam toll south west of Madurai, Katthapatti (Melur) Toll just north of Madurai
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Old 22nd March 2021, 09:14   #6
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

This is indeed a strange situation, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
The only default mode of transport should be a 2 wheeler, where you don't pay any toll.

Please tweet this to Nitin Gadkari, and see if he has a solution.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 11:38   #7
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
KA19 registered vehicle gets free pass at Surathkal toll booth only
KA20 registered vehicle gets free pass at Hejamadi toll booth only
What about people who have purchased used cars ? Even if the details are changed, the number is still the old one right ?
Reason: When I went for submission of documents for exempting me from the toll (in Kerala) I saw vehicles with number plates out of the jurisdiction area.

This is how it worked for me as far I recollect. You need the following documents.
1. Original RC + copy.
2. Aadhar or ID + copy.
3. Fast tag Details (if you don't have one, they will issue a new one and you can recharge on that one for other toll uses)
4. Residence Certificate from village office.

Number 4 is the crucial one. It is to be obtained from the village office within the exempted circle (the one in which you pay your property tax). Getting that from your village office required updated property tax + google map showing distance from the toll booth to your house. This distance is a straight line and not route distance. You will also need to show proof your a member of that residence since most likely that house will be in your parents name. In my case I show the family ration card in which I am a member. Once you get that from your village office (municipality /corporation office or whatever place it is called) you can approach the toll office.

If this process is how it is done in your area, you can get exemption from both tolls, as they will enter you fast tag data into their database. Your proximity to the toll circle is proved on the basis of your residence certificate, not the vehicle RC details. However the Owners name in the RC must be present in some document (in my case Ration card) to prove to the Village office authorities that your a member of that residence.

All said and done, these things do vary from time to time and also across various toll stations. I knew that for a certain time period no one was issued free pass when they upgraded to fast tag from a smart card system. Do enquire with the locals/driving schools in that area. They could also provide some tips.

Last edited by TrackDay : 22nd March 2021 at 11:41.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 11:59   #8
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

If I am taking my mom through the Hejamady toll booth, I take her aadhar card along which has the local address. I present the aadhaar card in the non-fastag lane, and the attendant usually leans forward to take a look at my mom and compare the photo before waiving off the toll.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 12:37   #9
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
I believe the exemption is if you live within a distance from a toll-booth. Do check on this. The distance for exemption may not be much.

One option is to transfer your can to the nearest RTO. You can try showing that the car is local.
Distance for exemption is 10Km and I am well within range for both toll booth.
I am trying to get these details of transfer to nearest RTO, any insight to this will be very helpful. Online support is filled with ownership transfer but no information on same owner, same state different RTO.
Quote:
If you have given the address in the RC BOOK as the place between two tolls, you can get the exemption for both booths. I don't think that should be a problem at all.
Address is Bangalore local since the vehicle is financed.

Quote:
Are you from Karnad, the ancestral town of Girish Karnad? My native place is 500m from the Hejamady toll, stuck between the toll and the district border. During lockdown, it was a major hassle for my relatives to visit other part of their town as they were stopped by cops at the toll gate, who think toll gate is the district border.
Yes, I stay close by. Udupi and Mangalore are very well integrated cities in terms of social, economics and culture, the idea of putting 2 toll booth in between them is clearly indicating political representative are useless in this region!

Quote:
I did an estimation of NIT-K to Koti Chennaya temple which essentially crosses both these tolls and the toll bypass added 7km and 15 minutes, which isn't too bad in my view. You know better since you use that route. Few points here:
Using bypass is only option as of now for me but not practical always as main road takes only 2 minutes. This by pass route is intentionally kept in a poor state to avoid more people using it , but kept operational so that locals don't raise this issue. This by pass road may stop anytime.

Quote:
I went for submission of documents for exempting me from the toll (in Kerala)
I am 100% eligible for this case. I have all the documents which you have mentioned.
Can you share more information on "Toll exemption process" this will be very helpful to many. Now with fastag everything is online including monthly pass, Where/whom should I approach to remove my Fastag ID from database of these toll booth ?

Quote:
I present the aadhaar card in the non-fastag lane, and the attendant usually leans forward to take a look at my mom and compare the photo before waiving off the toll.
Hejamadi toll booth is somewhat professional they listen and understand , but since fastag made mandatory they too don't have much control. Over the year I have tried many such methods sometime they work sometime they don't, purely depends on toll booth attendants mood and which contractor is operating the toll booth.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 13:27   #10
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Since your car is NOT registered at your hometown RTO, there will be no easy way out.
But try to find a likewise case in your village or in neighbouring villages & seek their opinion.

OR, you may need to take support of your Panchayat, local strongman or Elder who is mutually respected by these Toll booths. In such case also you may get respite from one toll booth only. Choose which one is more costly or frequent & go for it.

OR, you may directly meet the senior up of any one Toll booth & show your ancestry from your hometown & if not complete waiver then at least seek a 50% discount.

My two cents.

Regards.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 14:44   #11
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by ariesonu View Post
Since your car is NOT registered at your hometown RTO, there will be no easy way out.
But try to find a likewise case in your village or in neighbouring villages & seek their opinion.
Its a small town and very less local are having vehicle registered out of local RTO, I will try to reach out if I find any.
Quote:
OR, you may need to take support of your Panchayat, local strongman or Elder who is mutually respected by these Toll booths. In such case also you may get respite from one toll booth only. Choose which one is more costly or frequent & go for it.
If you are referring favoritism I don't encourage it , nor I have contact in higher up.
With Fastag this is not possible too.
Quote:
OR, you may directly meet the senior up of any one Toll booth & show your ancestry from your hometown & if not complete waiver then at least seek a 50% discount.
No one from toll booth system would encourage/help as their performance is completely based on collection per day.
As per my experience Toll booth management contract is renewed every year and the new contractor will strictly employee non-local employees only, who can bully, abuse and speak non regional language to discourage any such cases.
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Old 22nd March 2021, 14:47   #12
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re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
Requesting for suggestion from BHPians:
Did you try using PGPortal for expressing your grievance? I have seen that NHAI is very responsive.
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Old 24th March 2021, 09:55   #13
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Re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

This seems like the toll boths are not following the rules. As per NHAI 2008 rules, minimum distance between toll gates should be 60km.

The other place I have seen this violated is the Omalur-Salem toll gate and Sankagiri toll gate.

Refer here - https://tis.nhai.gov.in/faq?language=en
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.
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Old 24th March 2021, 10:17   #14
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Re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
I doubt KA19 get free in Suratkal either.
KA19 cars do at that toll gate. We experienced this last year and early Jan this year. It was quite the surprise as even the owner of the car wasn't aware of it and had kept the money ready but we were asked to just keep on driving.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamegz View Post
.

Please let me know a practical solution for this scenario.
Not very practical but a temporary option would be to figure out roundabout routes near the toll gates? I remember going via the beach route once to bypass the Surathkal toll heading from Mangalore side to Udupi. I saw several cars and other vehicles doing this so seemed to be a usual affair. See if there's an alternative for the other toll plaza too.

Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths-temp.png

Last edited by ninjatalli : 24th March 2021 at 10:23.
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Old 24th March 2021, 10:32   #15
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Re: Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Quote:
This seems like the toll boths are not following the rules. As per NHAI 2008 rules, minimum distance between toll gates should be 60km.
This rule is true but it exists only in rule book. Ever since both toll booth started there were multiple protest , strike to stop either of one or merge both into one till now nothing concrete happened. Surathkal toll booth is temporary shed, no office space, no toilet facility.

Here is a parallel thread on this illegal toll booth:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...es-more-3.html
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