Kochi: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has admitted to collecting “higher” toll charges from private bus operators at Kumbalam toll plaza but has ruled out any discount similar to that provided at Paliyekkara in Thrissur.
“The toll fees calculated here is as per the 1997 rule while the one at Paliyekkara is based on the 2008 rule.
Here the toll is charged for using the entire 16.75 kms though the private buses ply upto Vytilla only, just over half the distance. It’s true that we collect fees for the full stretch,” said a senior NHAI officer.
“As per the 1997 rule, the length of the bridges would also be accounted while calculating the user fee. For instance, the Aroor-Kumbalam bridge is 903 metres which will be taken as nine kms. So the toll is charged for 42 kms instead of the actual 16. 75 kms,” the officer said.
The NHAI stance comes even as private bus owners submitted a memorandum to district collector M G Rajamanickam demanding his intervention on the issue.
“The toll charged at Kumbalam Plaza is nearly four times higher than that at Paliyekkara. Here, they charge Rs 90 per day and Rs 1800 per month against Rs 17.50 and Rs 525 charged at Thrissur,” said K S Rajan, District Secretary, Bus Operators' Organisation.
The bus owners lamented that no employee of the NHAI was deputed at the toll plaza as stipulated under the law and that the contractors, who were in charge there, were behaving rudely.
“As per the pact, the contractor has to pay us Rs 3.32 lakh per week. Also, we have instructed them to be polite and not rude. We’ll take action if the affected parties complain,” said the NHAI official.
