[ghodlur]

Apart from the fantastic suggestions by HVK sir, some solution must also be devised for the return toll. The validity of the return toll is only for a day at most toll plazas. If this could be increased to a min of say 3 days or more then the time taken at the toll counters would also reduce significantly provided there is a dedicated lane for return toll pass holders. I know although this is feasible, the no of non toll pass holders hogging the dedicated return toll lanes would be more than the actual ones making it a total failure. As is seen on the Mulund toll where inspite of being a dedicated monthly pass holder's lane, its mostly used by toll paying vehicles.

[sbala]

I know these things will happen and changed my travel plans to yesterday 3rd January

More than the wait, what frustrates me are the drivers who cut across lanes while others wait in the queue..

My Brother-in-law once made a car to pay double the toll for his car heroism.. Bravo !!!

[blorebuddy]

Originally Posted by khoj

Provide the link to the NHAI web page and rest assured several hundred if not thousands of genuine complaints will go in from the forum..

Here it is Welcome to NHAI

Originally Posted by nandans2005

Otherwise, i see that these guys on NH7 are efficient enough as per my experience, since i use this highway very often and havent got delayed on regular working days.

I agree with you if this is a one time phenomina. I also pass this toll very regularly. The problem is they are not able to handle the festival time or holiday season rush. I have seen the huge queue up during these occasions in the last 2+ years. As it is repeating on every occasion, the authorities should do something about it rather than leaving it as it is and creating trouble for users.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Not sure of the exact reason why they have the vehicle number on the receipt, but i would assume it is to prevent it from being reused by another vehicle in the case of a return pass

I also think so especially they have this 24 hour validity ticket which is just 1.5 times more than the one time fare.

Originally Posted by kj302

Boy, I think I escaped it. Yesterday I was passing K'giri at 1 PM.

You are lucky. After experiencing this long queue during these special occasions I also plan to pass this before 4PM. However on 2nd Jan I could not do it due to a unavoidable situation which forced me to cross this toll at this peak hour

Originally Posted by BulZire

The huge delay was not only due to the increase in number of vehicles at that time, it was also due to a accident and road block just after the toll.

May be this is happened after I have left toll at 7:30 M. Till that time there is no issue in the road after the toll.

Originally Posted by sbala

More than the wait, what frustrates me are the drivers who cut across lanes while others wait in the queue..

Good point sbala. All our folks who are well educated Software professional behave the same way as our taxi/maxi cab drivers.

This is one of the reason for the increase in timelines to reach the toll booth. As 2 lane traffice becomes 5 lane or more when it reaches the toll booth.

[amitoj]

Maybe another option (a little out of the box and thus far fetched) to consider would be to have more outlets for paying the toll. The only difference being that these outlets would be in places like A2Bs, or petrol bunks close to the toll, or in case of the E-City to Silk board expressway, the cafeterias of the companies in E City. All you would have to do is just show the receipt at the toll counter.

[prince_pervez]

If electronic and magnetic passes are not feasible then atleast we could have end to end one time toll tickets e.g If I am travelling from Bangalore to Pune, I am ready to pay 649 upfront (won't mind a little discount for upfront payment), and use the left most lane at a toll plaza, where I can show my pre paid receipt and move faster. This can ensure faster movement of long distance vehicles and smaller lines on the regular toll lanes.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

If electronic and magnetic passes are not feasible then atleast we could have end to end one time toll tickets e.g If I am travelling from Bangalore to Pune, I am ready to pay 649 upfront (won't mind a little discount for upfront payment), and use the left most lane at a toll plaza, where I can show my pre paid receipt and move faster. This can ensure faster movement of long distance vehicles and smaller lines on the regular toll lanes.

I think this cannot be possible because invariably different sections of a National Highway are handled by different construction companies. So, there would be an issue on how the money would be distributed if toll for a say, A distance (having 3 patches by 3 diff. companies) was collected at once.

Even if it were to be sorted out, do you think Indians have the discipline to follow the rules. The moment someone sees a lane that is less occupied/moving faster, he is bound to switch irrespective of which lane he is in and how close he is to the plaza.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Maybe another option (a little out of the box and thus far fetched) to consider would be to have more outlets for paying the toll. The only difference being that these outlets would be in places like A2Bs, or petrol bunks close to the toll, or in case of the E-City to Silk board expressway, the cafeterias of the companies in E City. All you would have to do is just show the receipt at the toll counter.

you know the first thing we think of after a rule comes into effect is how to break it . I am just thinking how many fake receipts, reused/resold receipts will crop up.

to the OP, there are many possibilities, but the people in charge are not interested in public convenience I guess. To think of it, they don't have any incentives to do that either.....it's their job!

privatization? competition?

[scrooze]

Originally Posted by kj302

The fastest conventional toll collection I saw is at Gurgaon toll plaza. Man, those guys are fast.

Originally Posted by khoj

Wait till you see the guys at the Vashi toll plaza in New Bombay, their speed makes the Gurgaon guys appear as if standing still. I read somewhere that on an average they handle 200 vehicles every minute. The helpers hanging outside every booth have the ability or maybe are trained to identify the denomination of the note in your hand by colour or size or both and have the exact change and ticket in their hands by the time you open your window. You will notice regular drivers holding up their notes to help these guys along. First time drivers through the plaza of course are another story.

Also, I think Gurgaon toll plaza also has large no of toll collection lanes than vashi. I think Vashi has about 5-6 toll collection lanes on each side. Such is the process that you can cross toll at 10kmph and pay the toll.

Still during peak hr there is some time taken to clear the toll.

[hvkumar]

At all toll gates, I check the toll fee in advance, keep the cash ready (I have a separate pouch in my car for keeping cash for paying tolls), show out the currency note (as close to the toll fee as possible) prominently as I approach the toll attendant and gesticulate that I want a single way ticket. It works many times, and my average time spent is reduced. In efficient toll gates like the Navi Mumbai one, I don't even have to stop, I simply hand over the change, grab the ticket (and change) and keep going.

[MX6]

Along with all that HVK does, I also go and stop behind in the lane of trucks or buses. I know it's wrong. But then when I do that, there's just 2 or 3 trucks or buses ahead of me. On the car lanes, there are 7 - 8 vehicles. I've often seen that cars coming from behind try to accelerate and cut me off to occupy the immediate position behind another car in the car lane. I just let them go and stand behind a bigger vehicle.
When their turn at teh toll booth comes after 7 - 8 cars (though it appears they are closer to the booth), my turn is 3rd or 4th in line behind the trucks.
That way, I wait for only 3 vehicles to cross the toll instead of 7 or 8 cars on the lane of cars.
Helps a lot. Especially when one of the car guy gets in to a fight over I asked for single, why did you give me double, or don't give me damn toffees etc.
Mind you, it's the waiting time at the toll and not how closer you are to the toll booth! Standing behind trucks helped me.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by MX6

Along with all that HVK does, I also go and stop behind in the lane of trucks or buses. I know it's wrong. But then when I do that, there's just 2 or 3 trucks or buses ahead of me. On the car lanes, there are 7 - 8 vehicles. I've often seen that cars coming from behind try to accelerate and cut me off to occupy the immediate position behind another car in the car lane. I just let them go and stand behind a bigger vehicle.
When their turn at teh toll booth comes after 7 - 8 cars (though it appears they are closer to the booth), my turn is 3rd or 4th in line behind the trucks.
That way, I wait for only 3 vehicles to cross the toll instead of 7 or 8 cars on the lane of cars.
Helps a lot. Especially when one of the car guy gets in to a fight over I asked for single, why did you give me double, or don't give me damn toffees etc.
Mind you, it's the waiting time at the toll and not how closer you are to the toll booth! Standing behind trucks helped me.

I also sometimes do this, especially if there is a ST bus or two ahead, since buses clear toll gates faster. I get bugged if someone breaks the Q, and often the only time I lose my cool on my highway drives when I yell at the toll gate guys (to no avail, of course!) for the slow speed at which they dispense tickets and change.

I have never been to understand why there is an "auditor" - the extra guard who independently notes down the car number!

[gopal.prabhu1]

Originally Posted by blorebuddy

I am sure yesterday many TBHPians would have spent 1 hour time in the Krishnagiri toll plaze yesterday (2nd Jan 2011) evening.

This is also followed in Attibele toll which is between Hosur and Bangalore which also handles equal number of vehicles however does not require 1 hour to cross this toll.

2nd January 2011 was different due to a combination of the following factors:
1. Sunday night
2. Last day of vacation / holidays
3. Krishnagiri is a confluence of traffic merging from all over - Chennai, rest of TN, all the Kerala traffic heading to Bangalore

But you're kidding me if you say Attibele is an efficiently managed toll plaza. Attibele is one of the slowest toll booths to pass through. I was on that sector on 2nd Jan and I spent quality time at both Krishnagiri and Attibele.

Try arriving at Attibele from Hosur any morning around 6 am and January 2nd will seem like a breezethrough.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by RemingtonSteele

The best and most efficient Toll Plaza I have ever seen is at Creek bridge (Khadi Pool) when entering Mumbai from Vashi.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

RemingtonSteele has mentioned the relative efficiency at the Navi Mumbai toll gate, I agree. They have preprinted tickets, have change ready (since toll charges are Rs 30), they have either RS 20 or Rs 70 in the hands of the toll attendant who gives you the ticket. The person punching the ticket is helped by an attendant who actually takes the cash from you and hands you the ticket. These techniques work, and the discharge of cars at this toll gate is very quick.

On 5th jan, i was in mumbai, passed through the toll gate at vashi creek.
As i read above posts earlier, i thought to measure actual time taken to cross this toll gate.

TIME 8pm.
DIRECTION--toward vashi,
total lanes in single direction---five
lane no 3,
my car in waiting ----no three
actual time of waiting ---10 sec
time to arrive at toll booth, exchange money and receipt and start----6sec.

From this type efficiency, there is no wonder that at every min, 50 vehicles cross unidirectionally this toll gate... means 100 vehicles per min cross this toll gate in both directions.

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by kj302

The fastest conventional toll collection I saw is at Gurgaon toll plaza. Man, those guys are fast.

Yes, now they are fast.

But when the toll started few years back, it was a nightmare for initial few weeks/months.

I use to commute from South Delhi to Gurgoan during that period.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by MX6

Along with all that HVK does, I also go and stop behind in the lane of trucks or buses. I know it's wrong. But then when I do that, there's just 2 or 3 trucks or buses ahead of me. On the car lanes, there are 7 - 8 vehicles. I've often seen that cars coming from behind try to accelerate and cut me off to occupy the immediate position behind another car in the car lane. I just let them go and stand behind a bigger vehicle.
When their turn at teh toll booth comes after 7 - 8 cars (though it appears they are closer to the booth), my turn is 3rd or 4th in line behind the trucks.
That way, I wait for only 3 vehicles to cross the toll instead of 7 or 8 cars on the lane of cars.
Helps a lot. Especially when one of the car guy gets in to a fight over I asked for single, why did you give me double, or don't give me damn toffees etc.
Mind you, it's the waiting time at the toll and not how closer you are to the toll booth! Standing behind trucks helped me.

Exactly what I do!!! As HVK said, STC buses pass the toll very fast as they know the amount and carry enough change.

Off topic, is the smart card facility is available at Omallur toll plaza? I have seen Dharmapuri-Salem buses take one separate lane and swipe to pass the toll so quickly.