TN: ‘Close Down Toll Plazas’ Say Road Transport Workers

The All India Road Transport Workers' Federation condemned the union government's hike in tollgate charges. The association went a step further and demanded the removal of toll plazas in Tamil Nadu.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recommended a 5% to 10% hike in toll charges nationwide for both light and heavy commercial vehicles from April 1. This has increased the tariff prices on national highways by Rs 10 and Rs 60.

The federation, affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), noted that it was against all rules and unethical because toll fees were fixed at the time toll booths were set up, and they should not be raised.

The federation observed that a hike in toll fees would increase the price of essential commodities. Fruits, vegetables, grains, edible oil, milk, building material and other goods are widely transported via road. The fare of private buses is also likely to be hiked.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said there should be no toll plaza within 60 km on national highways, but this is not followed, and he criticised the federation.

‘WITHDRAW HIKE’

“With the skyrocketing fuel prices, insurance premiums and customs charges, the motor industry needs dire help. Relief is needed to overcome the crisis; on the contrary, the union government has increased tariffs, which will destroy the motor vehicle industry,” observed the road transport workers’ union.

The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners’ Association said that when transporting goods by truck from Salem to Gujarat or Delhi, a toll fee of up to Rs 4,500 has to be paid in addition to the amount already paid, and the expense will be added to the transported commodities.

The federation held protests in front of toll booths across Tamil Nadu on March 31, stating the hike was daylight robbery.

Pondicherry Lorry Owners and Booking Agents Association also protested in the Union Territory.

‘REMOVE TOLLGATES’

Speaking at the site of the protest in Chennai, CITU state president A Soundararasan demanded the government to remove toll gates and warned the state that motorists will otherwise remove the booths themselves.

He said, “The government that built the roads has already collected funds many times more than the cost of building the roads and its maintenance costs.”

“Besides this, a cess tax was implemented to build roads and improve infrastructure, charging Rs 5 per litre of petrol and Rs 2 per litre of diesel. So far, Rs 2,30,000 crore has been collected through cess tax in the last year alone,” he said.

As the trucking industry is already reeling from the rise in diesel prices, the hike in toll fee will further affect it, he noted.

The Highways Minister EV Velu alleged that the NHAI has been setting up toll plazas after widening the state highways by 1.5 metres to 3 metres on either side. “There are 14 such highways where the NHAI has set up toll plazas. We want the removal of such toll plazas,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu government also passed a resolution to close these toll gates and sent it to the Union government.

Tamil Nadu has the highest number of 55 toll plazas in the country. The toll increase has occurred in 29 toll booths in Tamil Nadu.