District administration asks NHAI to exempt local LCVs from payments at Sasthana toll plaza

District administration asks NHAI to exempt local LCVs from payments at Sasthana toll plaza

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, December 31, 2024: The Udupi district administration on Monday, directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to exempt local light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from payment of toll at the Sasthana Toll Plaza on Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66 in Brahmavara taluk.

Chairing a meeting in this regard following stiff protest by vehicles owners and residents of Kota Zilla Panchayat constituency at Manipal, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary asked NHAI to continue the earlier exemption being given to locally registered LCVs along with private vehicles at the toll plaza.

He said the plaza was located under Saligrama Town Panchayat limits and is surrounded by thickly populated areas. Local residents have to cross the plaza many times for their routine work and it was difficult to pay the toll every time they crossed. Therefore, the authority should continue the exemption given to local LCVs and private vehicles, he said.

53,000 trips

Deputy Commissioner K. Vidyakumari said as many as 1,552 vehicles registered within Kota ZP constituency make 53,130 trips every day through the Sasthana toll plaza. Residents have demanded exemption from toll payment for all these vehicles. While the administration was in favour of exempting private vehicles and LCVs, heavy goods vehicles, including trucks, buses and tippers, could avail concession passes, she said.

The Sasthana Rashtreeya Heddari Jagruthi Samithi had announced a voluntary bandh and agitation in Kota ZP limits on Tuesday if the NHAI did not exempt local LCVs from toll payment.

Santhekatte grade separator

Mr. Poojary directed the NHAI to complete the ongoing grade separator work at the Santhekatte Junction on NH 66 in Udupi taluk so as to facilitate smooth vehicular movement by January 7.  

The MP also directed the NHAI to provide adequate streetlights at required locations, rectify highways of potholes and install proper signboards at junctions. Because of absence of all these facilities, many accidents in the district were being reported, he said.

MLAs of Kundapura and Kaup A. Kiran Kumar Kodgi and Gurme Suresh Shetty, Superintendent of Police K. Arun and others were present.