Toll preparations on course in Karnataka, truckers’ association says it will go on strike

The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) on Wednesday turned down transport minister R Ashoka’s request to call off the proposed truckers’ strike from December 7.

The association, which claimed to represent 70 lakh operators, had threatened to go on strike if its demand for a reduction in toll charges on highways was not met.

It was also furious over the proposed move to set up a toll plaza at Sadahalli Gate on the road leading to the Bengaluru International Airport.

Speaking from Delhi, AIMTC president GR Shanmugappa said that the association rejected the transport minister’s request as the issue involved the Centre. “We have declined to accede to the transport minister’s request as it does not pertain only to the state government. The Centre is responsible for tolling on this road,” said Shanmugappa.

He said that the state government was worried as it feared disruption in movement to the airport due to the strike. “I respect his (Ashoka’s) understanding of the sensitivity of the matter. But he cannot do anything and the decision has to be made by the Centre. We are seeking a reply from the Centre and expect them to fulfil our demands,” he said.

The truckers have demanded that the toll gate be pushed beyond Devanahalli. They also wanted the expressway to BIA to be considered as within city limits.

“We are not against the collection of toll by the government. With several roads being handed over to private operators for operation and maintenance, toll is mostly whimsical and arbitrary,” said Shanmugappa.

Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that it was awaiting approval from the Centre to fix the toll fee.
Officials of the NHAI said that a survey was being conducted on NH-7 for the past five days and it had nothing to do with fixation of the toll rates. Neither was it a part of the procedure before starting the toll plaza. “We conduct such surveys twice a year on every national highway. Toll rates will be fixed according to the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) 2008 regulations and based on the distance,” said RK Gupta, PD, NHAI.

NHAI started the survey classifying the vehicles on NH-7 into five types.

The toll plaza has been built half a kilometre before Trumpet Junction where one road deviates towards BIA and the other towards Chikkaballapur. More than 8,000 vehicles of different types and 3,000 cabs ply on the highway.