As motorists are trying to evade paying toll by swerving into and out of the access controlled Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway before and after toll gates, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has strategically placed concrete barricades at different access points along both the service roads and the main carriageway.
According to NHAI officials, ever since toll collection began at the three toll plazas along the access-controlled expressway, many motorists have been found to be avoiding the toll by taking the service roads and entering the main carriageway after the toll gate through the entry and exit points of the highway.
NHAI sources said: “The act of toll evasion by highway users has been on the rise, resulting in a substantial revenue loss. In response, a strategic measure has been taken. Specific entry and exit points are being blocked through the installation of sturdy concrete barriers near the toll plazas situated in Gananguru, Sheshagirihalli, and Kaniminike.”
The officials said that the presence of convenient access points in close proximity to Ramanagara, Mandya, Maddur, Channapatana, and Srirangapatna facilitate easy entry and exit from the parallel service roads alongside the highway. This setup is being misused by numerous individuals leveraging these points to effectively circumvent paying toll.
Over the past few days, cranes have been employed to strategically position concrete barricades at locations where drivers previously circumvented toll gates.
Meanwhile, the closure of certain highway access points might cause inconvenience for villagers who frequently use these routes. However, NHAI officials reassured that designated entry and exit points have been arranged for the villagers, and these specific routes will remain unobstructed.
Starting August 1, the NHAI banned two-wheelers, autos, tractors, non-motorised vehicles, multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles, and quadricycles from using the main carriageway.
This decision followed a surge in accidents, including fatal ones. In a bid to stem the alarming number of accidents on the access controlled highway, the police have also deployed mobile speed radar guns to book motorists crossing the permissible limit of 100 kmph.
Earlier, the NHAI had said that this access-controlled expressway had been developed as a high-speed corridor, and the maximum speed limit for motor vehicles of various descriptions have been notified, varying between 80 kmph and 100 kmph.
