The steep hike in toll charges is putting a financial burden on the vehicle users who travel frequently between Palasa and Visakhapatnam for they need to cross three toll plazas en route.
The toll charge for a car at Laxmipuram toll plaza near Palasa in Srikakulam district is ₹140, while the same at Madapam toll gate near Narasannapeta is ₹95. The toll charge at Natavalasa toll plaza at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district is ₹105. A car owner who travels from Palasa to Visakhaptnam needs to pay ₹340 in total at the toll plazas.
Motorists from Srikakulam need to cross three toll gates to reach Visakhapatnam. Earlier, the toll charges were between ₹50 and ₹70 per per car. However, the amount has gone up steeply and the rates are allegedly being fixed without the involvement of stakeholders. The charge for a bus or truck is ₹480 at Laxmipuram, ₹325 at Madapam and ₹360 at Natavalasa.
“The hike in charges at the toll plazas by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is weighing heavy on the pockets of the motorists. After the FASTag was introduced, double the charge is deducted if there is no sufficient balance in the FASTag wallet. A 100% fine is unacceptable,” said Hanumanthu Lajapathirai, former president of Confederation of Andhra Pradesh Consumers’ Organisations.
Moreover, the toll charge is only 25% if the return journey is on same date. But it is 50% otherwise and this is another burden on the vehicle users, he pointed out.
“Many people living in remote villages use old cars in the absence of adequate bus facilities. The government has fixed toll charges irrespective of the vehicle’s value. The toll charge is same for a car worth ₹50 lakh and an old four-wheeler worth ₹2 lakh. The toll charges need to be fixed according to the value of the vehicles,” opined T. Ajay, a native of Palasa.
Congress Srikakulam district president Pedada Parameswara Rao alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had put a heavy financial burden on the people under the guise of road maintenance.
CPI(M) Srikakulam district secretary D. Govinda Rao said that all toll gates in Andhra Pradesh should be removed as the government had collected the road development expenditure long ago.
