CHENNAI: In an argument between car drivers and toll plaza staff, two fare counters were damaged and around 100 people gheraoed the toll plaza at Red Hills on Wednesday morning. The traffic on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway stagnated for more than three hours with vehicles piling up for a 10-km distance. Police have arrested three drivers for damaging the fare counters and two toll plaza staff for assaulting the drivers and villagers.
Inspector Vadivel Murugan, who is investigating the case, said there has been a constant problem between drivers who ply across the toll plaza regularly and the staff of the plaza since the beginning of the month. “The fare for the vehicles was increased by 10 per cent and so, people living around the toll plaza have also been creating problems, since they have to pay huge amounts to cross it,” he said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Parvan Kumar said the Ponneri RTO had asked the toll plazas in the district to relax the revised fare until elections in Tamil Nadu are over since it was difficult to implementing the order. “Many government officers were deployed on election duty and we had asked the toll plaza staff to renew the monthly pass after April 18,” said the DSP.
Speaking to I a senior police officer said, “Around 9 am on Wednesday, a car driver of a travels company, James, and the car owner Paneer showed the monthly pass to cross the toll plaza. The toll staff said the pass expired on Wednesday and he should either renew it or pay the fare price according to the revised plan” There was confusion with renewing the pass. James and Paneer picked up an argument with the toll staff and in the melee, the two migrant workers at the plaza hit the duo.
“Angered by this, James and Paneer halted the other vehicles and the drivers picked up an argument with the toll plaza management. Meanwhile, some people from the nearby villages reached the spot. This was the saturation point for the drivers and villagers and they gheraoed the toll plaza,” said a senior police officer.On information, Tiruvallur Superintendent of Police Ponni, Deputy Superintendent of Police Parvan Kumar and Sholavaram inspector Vadivel Murugan reached the spot and pacified the drivers and toll staff.