Dilemma! My hometown is between 2 toll booths

Now, whenever we travel to my hometown, entry, exit, travelling to the nearest city is not possible without a toll fee.

Thanks to BHPian Shamegz for sharing this with others.

Prelude:

My Home town is exactly in between 2 toll booths: 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 booths are situated in different district hence:

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

Problem:

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

Now, whenever we travel to my hometown, entry, exit, travelling to the nearest city is not possible without a toll fee. Basically, only 10 km radius is possible without toll fee. We have to cross this toll booth every time and sometimes, multiple times in the same day as the nearest city, services, friends and family are located on either sides of these 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 charges Rs. 80 on a 2-way journey and Hejamadi toll booth charges Rs. 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.

Here's what BHPian TrackDay had to say on the matter:

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 as I recollect. You need the following documents:

• Original RC + copy.
• Aadhar or ID + copy.
• 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)
• 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 that you are a member of that residence since most likely that house will be in your parent's name. In my case, I showed 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 your fastag 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 owner's name in the RC must be present in some document (in my case Ration card) to prove to the Village office authorities that you are 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 fastag from a smart card system. Do enquire with the locals/driving schools in that area. They could also provide some tips.

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