CHENNAI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 22 toll gates located within 60 km of the adjacent plaza on 13 national highways in Tamil Nadu, shows data obtained by TNIE through an RTI query.
This comes four months after Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced the closure of such plazas within three months. The RTI reply shows that if the minister’s announcement was implemented, at least 11 toll plazas in the State would have been closed. The State unit of NHAI, however, has maintained that it has not received any guideline or direction for implementing the decision.
Of the 22 plazas identified, user fee is being collected at four—Paranur and Athur on Tambaram-Tindivanam NH 45, and Nemili and Chennasamudran on Poonamallee-Walajahapet NH 4 for more than 15 years, even though both the sections of highways were developed using government funds.
According to the NHAI, the 22 toll gates were set up in accordance with the provisions of the National Highways Fee Determination Rules 1997 and 2008. “Although fee determination rules prevent setting up a toll plaza within 60 km, section 8 (2) of NH Fee rule 2008 grants exemption when the highway passes through bridges, a bypass or a tunnel,” said Public Information Officer, Project Implementation Unit - Madurai, in the RTI reply. In December 2018, following protests against toll plazas, the Centre directed the NHAI to shift those located less than 60 km from the next.
Clustered together
1. Chennai bypass: Vanagaram & Surapattu
2. Tambaram-Tindivanam NH45: Paranur & Athur
3. Tindivanam-Ulundurpet NH45: Vikravandi
4. Poonamallee-Walajahpet NH4: Chennasamudrm
5. Krishnagiri-Walajahpet NH48: Vaniyambadi & Pallikonda
6. Hosur-Krishnagiri NH44: Krishnagiri
7. Krishnagiri-Thumbipadi NH7: Palayam
8. Kumarapalayam-Chengalpalli NH47: Vijaymangalam
9. Chengapalli-Coimbatore bypass (TN/Kerala border): Chengapalli
10. Salem-Ulundurpet NH 68: Mettupatti, Nathakarai & Veeracholapuram
11. Ulundurpet-Padalur NH 45: Senguruchi & Thirumandurai
12. Dindigul-Samayanallur (Madurai) NH7: Kozhainjipatti (Kodai Road)
13. Madurai-Kanniyakumari NH 7: Kappalur, Etturvattam, Salaipudur & Nanguneri