Hyderabad: The toll plaza operators’ greed for money is posing a grave threat to motorists on the Outer Ring Road, as vehicles not allowed on the expressway can bribe their way in.
Two- and three-wheelers that are banned on the ORR, bribe toll plaza operators to allow them to go through.
This is borne out by police files. As many as 1,352 cases pertaining to two-wheelers on the ORR were booked from January to June. Out of 2,000 accidents over a period of a year, 1,500 involved two-wheelers.
Sources say that toll plaza staff allows these non-permitted categories of vehicles on the ORR on the understanding that they will move to the service road at the next exit. They said two-wheelers are seen entering the ORR from various points that are far away from the toll plaza.
B. Damodhar, who was riding a two-wheeler towards Patancheru on the ORR, said he had paid `100 to the staff to allow him to enter the expressway and exit it quickly.
For most such riders, taking the ORR is a risk worth taking because it is quicker and there are no traffic hassles.
Mr Damodar said that it had become a common practice in Patancheru, Shamirpet, Peddamberpet, Medchal and a few other entry points. This reporter tested it out at the Peddamberpet toll plaza. Sure enough, the staff collected `100 and allowed my two-wheeler to proceed with the caution that I would be caught by the cops if I travelled beyond four kilometres on the expressway. They warned that the traffic police would impose heavy fines for travelling on the expressway.
Asked to comment on this flouting of rules, a senior HMDA official said that there were certain stray incidents where smaller vehicles are allowed on the ORR. He said two-wheelers are allowed entry from Gachibowli and exit near Nanakramguda as the stretch was not part of the expressway.
The official said “kind hearted” toll staff and traffic police personnel have been allowing two-wheelers on the expressway. He said stringent action would be taken against those who violate the norms.
