5 toll - gates to be closed down near Chennai for this reason
Posted on: 18/Mar/2022 10:07:06 AM
The issues like fudging of toll collection amount and poor keep up of national highways around Chennai would be responsible for the shutting down of toll gates near Chennai. Mr. E.V. Velu, the state highways minister, has urged the union government to shut down the 5 toll gates near Chennai.
These toll gates are located at Vanagaram and Surapattu on Chennai bypass, Paranur on the Tambaram- Trichy highways, Chennasamudram or Wallajah and Nemili (Sriperumbudur) on the Chennai-Bengaluru bypass road. It is known that since 2005 Paranur tollgate has been collecting toll amount from the users and from March 2003 2 toll plazas near Chennai bypass collecting toll fees.
In 2013, toll plazas at Chennasamudram and Nenmili began functioning inspite of the fact the 4 lane was not made 6 laned between Sriperumbudur and Walajah on Bengaluru Bypass.
After the launching of the compulsory electronic payment system, the toll rates shot up abnormally at the toll gates. The demand to close down the toll gates was huge.
From 1st of April 2005 till 30th of September 2018, NHAI collected a mammoth amount of Rs 1098 crores as user fee from Athur and Paranur toll gates. It was later mentioned by NHAI that as of August 2019 Rs 354 was collected to reduce user fee by 60percent. It was brought to light by another source from RTI that there was fudging of the toll fees at Paranur tollgate.
Truth is that after the implementation of the electronic payment system the number of vehicles crossing this Paranur toll gate has increased by 150% in July 2021.
