Road users slam collection of toll on NH 210

September 11, 2014

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Some major components of the NH work are yet to be over

Pay before you use:The overbridge at Letchumanapatty near Keeranur on NH 210 is still at its nascent stage, but the NHAI has granted permission to a private company to collect toll at two places.— Photo: A.Muralitharan

Collection of toll on National Highway 210, which is yet to be fully completed, has drawn criticisms from road users.

Though the majority of works on the 81.05-km stretch between Mandaiyur near Tiruchi and Managiri in Sivaganga district have been completed, important components such as construction of overbridge at Kalamavur and bridges near Pudukottai are yet to be completed. Motorists are still using the old road at several points. In some places, the private company that undertakes the laying of extended two-lane is yet to put up signboards .

However, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given permission to the private company to collect toll at Letchumanapatty near Keeranur and Lembakudi near Karaikudi. For a single trip from Tiruchi to Karaikudi, buses and trucks have to shell out Rs.170. The fee for a car or van is Rs.50 (Rs.25 each at Letchumanpatty and Lembakudi).

Though motorists have no hesitation to pay the toll, the permission granted for collecting toll before fully completing the works anguishes many.

“We pay hefty sums for using the toll road. But motoring at several stretches is still painful. The NHAI shouldn’t have given permission to collect the toll before the full completion of works,” says M.Murugesan, a car driver.

“We couldn’t understand the rationale behind the decision.

If the NHAI wanted to help the investors, who built the road, it should have pressurised them to complete the works within the stipulated time or it should have played the role of facilitator to convince the line departments to complete remaining works on time,” said another road user.

When contacted, personnel at the toll plazas told The Hindu that the fee was being collected only for the completed portion. As per NHAI rules, fee can be collected if 75 per cent of the road works are completed. As far as the Tiruchi-Karaikudi road is concerned, about 80 per cent of the works have been completed, they said.

Source:The Hindu