Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Dec 16: The proposal to levy double the normal toll fee for people not having FASTag has been postponed to January 15, but because of reduction in number of lanes earmarked for cash collection, long queues of vehicles were witnessed at all the five toll gates in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Sunday, December 15. On Monday, the pressure of traffic is expected to increase, and the concerned have made arrangement to handle extra traffic.
At Sastan tollgate, four lanes were meant for cash payment, two for local vehicles and four more for FASTag. 15 additional staff were deployed. Vehicles which entered FASTag lanes without having FASTag were charged double the normal fee. A few engaged in arguments with the tollgate staff on this occasion. The percentage of vehicles sporting FASTag was about 30 percent.
Queue at Talapady
Queue at Sastan
At Brahmarakootlu tollgate, additional staff directed the vehicle towards FASTag or cash gates as required. Four additional equipment were provided to directly collect from vehicles standing in queue. Cash lane particularly witnessed huge rush.
In Talapady gate also the story was not much different. Cash lanes saw rush. As private buses truncated their Talapady trip and stopped just short the tollgate as toll fee concession was not extended to them, the passengers had to get down and walk to Talapady.
At Suratkal toll gate too FASTag lanes saw less traffic. Staff holding scanners helped vehicles FASTag of which could not be scanned. Several vehicles moved on beach road via Mahalingeshwara Mahaganapati temple at Suratkal to avoid toll charges.
At Hejamady toll gate, vehicles without FASTag entered cash lanes and this created problems. After the cash lane witnessed additional rush, an additional cash lane was opened. Here too arguments arose when the toll staff enforced double the fee for vehicles without FASTag entering the FASTag lanes.
Additional police security is being provided to tollgates through Karnataka State Reserve Police and highway patrol vehicles.