National Highway 08: Toll Plaza Scam!

[YogiPunto]

Is it worth pay such huge sums at Toll plazas is one more discussion. But the point that I wanted to highlight is a different side of it which was mostly untouched. I agree about toll amount not being utilised wisely by the authorities. But to say that we can at least make sure that the amount is reaching the concerned authorities. But if the middlemen are eating up on the amount and the authorities have no clue about it, then its worthless to say that the authorities are not doing there job.

I think there are 2 things which can be looked at here.

1) First thing is our approach towards Toll. We need to look at toll as a tool to improve the infrastructure and NOT a tool created to harass us. We need to pay toll rather than giving lifts to toll guys for paying no toll or paying less for no receipts. Also, we need to make sure the way toll collected is proper and they are not doing any mischief.

2) and the second thing is the authorities need to improve on the way toll is collected. In this era where we operate almost everything using mobile phones, I am surprised we still don't have a RFID chip / mobile based toll collection system. Such a system will improve the toll collection process and also reduce the delays the the plazas.

How Toll amounts are increasing day by day and how we are being harassed (:-)) is yet another discussion which is visited almost every time we visit any thread about tolls. But what we can do to improve the overall Toll process is also important. Thats what is highlighted here!

 

[sethumurugan]

Is it worth pay such huge sums at Toll plazas is one more discussion. But the point that I wanted to highlight is a different side of it which was mostly untouched. I agree about toll amount not being utilised wisely by the authorities. But to say that we can at least make sure that the amount is reaching the concerned authorities. But if the middlemen are eating up on the amount and the authorities have no clue about it, then its worthless to say that the authorities are not doing there job.

I think there are 2 things which can be looked at here.

1) First thing is our approach towards Toll. We need to look at toll as a tool to improve the infrastructure and NOT a tool created to harass us. We need to pay toll rather than giving lifts to toll guys for paying no toll or paying less for no receipts. Also, we need to make sure the way toll collected is proper and they are not doing any mischief.

2) and the second thing is the authorities need to improve on the way toll is collected. In this era where we operate almost everything using mobile phones, I am surprised we still don't have a RFID chip / mobile based toll collection system. Such a system will improve the toll collection process and also reduce the delays the the plazas.

How Toll amounts are increasing day by day and how we are being harassed (:-)) is yet another discussion which is visited almost every time we visit any thread about tolls. But what we can do to improve the overall Toll process is also important. Thats what is highlighted here!

Truely said. I think every authority has to do their responsibility properly. Couple of points from a recent Tamil movie (Nimirndhu Nil) were seems to be very valid which are

We are selecting the politicians those who do not even have some basic qualification and does n't know much about the department he belongs (In TamilNad it is worst).
Govt officers are the one who are guiding those politicians guides them wrongly most of the time.
And Positions are there only for 5 years, but the govt officers/authorities are there till they retire.
in this case we need to have good authorities than good politicians.

I agree to most of the points mentioned.

Regarding using advance gadgets in this era, even I used to think something here. Assume am going to Madurai and the number of tolls between Chennai and Madurai is fixed and the toll charges also fixed. Why don't they do something in online. Let me pay the toll charges in online in Chennai itself. Provide a separate lane for these kind of vehicles. so that before reaching the toll read my number plate (possibilities of cheating is here, I know) and allow me to go without stopping me and wasting our time in toll (Some tolls, you need to spend hell lot of time)

 

[bhvm]

Hello Folks,
The Tool Plazas are Just demons and the bane of Indian Driving.
On a regular Cross-State run of 300~500 KM, The usual Toll charges add up to 300~400 Rupees! This is sometimes more than train tickets for the same. But what to do? We are car loving people

Also, When Buying the car we have already paid LOADS of LOOT (taxes) which include but not limited to-

Sales Tax/ VAT
Octori
LBT
Income tax
Road Tax
RTO registration
Service tax (paid my manufacture and passed on to us)
Profession tax (paid my manufacture and passed on to us)

WHY THE HELL have to pay again TOLL tax because the Creation and Upkeep of roads should be Included in Road tax and RTO tax!!

 

[priyadarshi06]

I am always opposed to the idea of Tolls.We are paying such a high amount of taxes in all forms of fuel.So it is natural to expect the Govt to utilize part of that money to construct and maintain roads.
It shouldn't be that we pay taxes in Petrol/Diesel/CNG and then also pay our income tax and then also pay toll to build roads.
What the Govt is supposed to do with the tax collection?We should expect at least roads and hospitals to be taken care of out of the tax collected

 

[amit1km]

WHY THE HELL have to pay again TOLL tax because the Creation and Upkeep of roads should be Included in Road tax and RTO tax!!

What the Govt is supposed to do with the tax collection?We should expect at least roads and hospitals to be taken care of out of the tax collected

You know how big big corruption are happening in our country.
If we will not pay the tax, then how this country will survive with those corruption.
These corruption amount has to be compensate.. right, then who will compensate, that's us.
In India , it will be very difficult to find for an item where people do not have to pay the tax.

 

[vu2gte]

As far as I know the toll booths are operated by companies that bid for them in a (probably rigged) auction. The government gets a fixed amount whether you pay the toll or not. The toll booth employees behave by and large like most government servants who think that they are doing you a huge favour even if they take twice the amount of time to do a simple transaction. This is supported by the chalta hai attitude widely prevalent.

 

[abhijit_net]

Since a few days i am traveling through Airoli toll (a 35 + 35 Rs loss daily).There are a few officers who stop the vehical and check inside. They ask name, phone number and whome the car is registered. They enter the details in a register and ask to sign it. They dont ask for any thing else. Also one guy with a handicam records the car mostly from front. Any one aware about this?
I tried to ask them the purpose, but they just ignored me.

 

[harishankar]

I guess if the Fastag is more and more adopted, hassles will be reduced overall. I wish they would dedicate lanes at every toll plaza for the Fastag vehicles which is still not widely implemented everywhere.

 

[TAUREAN CZAR]

Since a few days i am traveling through Airoli toll (a 35 + 35 Rs loss daily).There are a few officers who stop the vehical and check inside. They ask name, phone number and whome the car is registered. They enter the details in a register and ask to sign it. They dont ask for any thing else. Also one guy with a handicam records the car mostly from front. Any one aware about this?
I tried to ask them the purpose, but they just ignored me.

Maybe these are officers of the election commission checking your cars for cash to lure voters. That is a common practice during elections. My recent trip to Shiridi from Hyderabad had multiple check did not ask me documents but asked me who are we, where are we coming and going. They do take a video recordings the proceedings. Is it in Maharashtra?

 

[navnit013]

Airoli is maharashtra. Its election checking.

 

[bhvm]

Never heard about the Video recordings. However Cops do ask for Name & Transit route and all. They are very linient if you have elders or women along. Single men are taken far more thoroughly.

 

[J.Ravi]

Even we were stopped and videographed while entering Pune near a toll plaza from Sangamner side on 06/10 evening by the flying squad of the Election Commission. They asked me to open one random suitcase and checked thoroughly. They did not ask for vehicle documents.