With talks between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and various taxi associations making no headway on Friday, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has decided to launch a strike to protest toll collection at Sadarhalli Gate on NH-7, which started from the midnight of February 10.

Taxi associations are particularly upset because taxis that ply to and from the international airport will have to pay the toll for multiple trips. “We held a discussion with NHAI officials and requested them to introduce monthly passes for airport taxis. If they introduce monthly passes, we will have to shell out less on toll. But all our negotiations with NHAI failed as they refused to give any concessions,” said the general secretary of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Association, K. Radhakr-ishna Holla. With airport taxis likely to go off the roads from Monday morning, those who have flights to catch will have to arrange for alternative transport.

“Starting from January 13, 7 am onwards, no taxi will go to the airport. As per the contract signed by NHAI, toll will be collected for 21 years at Sadarhalli Gate toll booths. It is estimated that the toll collected daily will be Rs 30 lakh on an average. In 20 years, the toll collection will be over 6,000 crore. However, the amount invested in upgrading Bellary Road is Rs 680 crore. We oppose the move and have hence decided to call for a strike,” said the All India Motor Transport Congress president, G.R. Shanmugappa.

There are an estimated 3,500 airport taxis and all the taxi operators have been intimated about the strike. “The NHAI authorities should have first completed the project before collecting toll on NH-7. We are running 500 taxis to the airport and all of them will be off duty,” said the general secretary of KSTDC Taxi Drivers Welfare Associa-tion, Mr Neelakantappa.