Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Feb 3: Bus owners stage protest over the extra deduction of toll charges from their FASTag wallets at toll plazas on February 5.

Sadananda Chatra, vice president Canara Bus Owners Association, addressing the media in the press meet held on February 3, said, “When minibuses with a GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) ranging from 7,500 to 12,000 kg pass through toll plazas, the toll amount is automatically deducted via the FASTag system. However, toll plaza operators are allegedly deducting additional amounts beyond the specified toll charges, which is illegal.”

Ragavendra Bhat, Karavali Bus Owners Association president, said, “We bus owners have decided to stage a protest on February 5, Wednesday, at 9.30 am in Hejamadi and Shastana Toll Plaza, to demand an end to the unlawful toll deductions and to seek justice. We are given with class five Fast Tag accordingly the toll amount is deducted. But the toll plaza authorities are deducting an extra amount of how much is deducted to heavier vehicles. We are subjected to daily overcharging, with an estimated 8 to 10 lac rupees being extorted each day at the Hejamadi and Sasthan toll plazas alone. In response we have lodged complaints with the district commissioner, superintendent of police (SP), and project director (PD) of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), but they did not respond, therefore we are staging a protest against this.”

Canara Bus Owner Association president Rajavarma Ballal, Imtiyaz Ahmed, Sandeep, Imran, Vasanth Shetty, and Valid, were present during the press meet.