The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been asked by the Dakshina Kannada Truck Owners Association to exclude local commercial vehicles from paying tolls at Surathkal and Bramharakootlu. They claim that toll plazas in Tumakuru, Bengaluru, and Nelamangala do not charge tolls on local private and commercial cars. Surathkal plaza should not be permitted to function since there should be a minimum distance of 60 kilometers between two toll plazas.
Except for Dakshina Kannada, every district has excused local cars, presumably because they have never objected. As per the rules, a toll plaza should offer essential amenities such as restrooms, parking, and ambulance service, which both of these tolls lack. Surathkal toll station is located inside the City Corporation borders.
For nearly a decade, several organizations have raised their voices against it, but the protests have had no positive impact. Recovery trucks are not stationed in any of these plazas. To our luck, the service centers and showrooms of two truck companies are within a six-kilometer radius of the Surathkal toll plaza.
Read/Add Comments