Toll once again: Soon, local private cars to pay toll at Surathkal tollgate

Mangaluru: Come July 16, it will be mandatory for KA 19 registration private cars to pay a minimum toll of Rs 25 for one time access through Surathkal tollgate. A monthly pass will for unlimited usage will be available and will cost Rs 265.

As a precautionary measure, the Deputy Commissioner has sent an information letter to the city Police Commissioner to provide police protection for the mandatory toll collection.

Apparently, Keshav Agarwal Company, which had taken the contract for collecting toll in the Surathkal tollgate recently, is allegedly incurring a loss of Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh per day. Hence, in this guise, it had written a letter to the administration to allow minimal toll collection from local private cars also in order to reduce their losses.

Later, the NHAI chairman had written a letter in this regard to the chief secretary of the state and had asked to provide required arrangements and police protection to the Surathkal tollgate personnel. Hence, Dakshina Kannada DC and highway officer were instructed to make arrangements for the same by the chief secretary of the state on July 1.

Keshav Agarwal Company had bid for a huge amount for the contract considering the daily movement of private cars, including local registration ones, which pass through the toll gate multiple times. Presently,  all local KA 19 registration cars up to a distance of 20 kilometers from the tollgate can take a monthly pass for Rs 265 and use the tollgate as many times as required. The other option is to pay Rs 25 for every trip across the tollgate.

It may be noted that earlier, the district administration had instructed the tollgate contractor to waive off the toll collection for local vehicles. Now, due to the apparent losses depicted by the toll company, NHAI has given instructions to collect minimum fee. Therefore, locals will compulsorily have to pay  the toll fee from July 16.