Private travel owners create ruckus opposing toll fee collection

Visakhapatnam: Private travel owners and drivers staged a dharna near the toll plaza gate in Aganampudi on Thursday as the toll plaza staff collecting charges against the verdict of high court. Private travels drivers and owners’ association members alleged that illegal collection of toll at Aganampudi toll plaza has been continuing violating the court orders and Visakha Highway Authority.

The high court had given orders to stop collection of toll fee after the Gajuwaka Bar Association president filed petition against Aganampudi toll plaza in the interest of people while appealing to shift it to Lankelapalem. Considering the arguments, the HC declared that the toll plaza was in the city limits and not on a highway. Even then the contractor was collecting toll tax forcefully from drivers violating the court orders.

Meanwhile some locals lamented that there was a proposal to shift toll plaza to Lankelapalem from Aganampudi, but due to some political reasons it was kept aside. As the Gajuwaka Road Transport Office (RTO) was shifted to Aganampudi, even for vehicle registration and other RTO works, we were spending more on toll plaza as fee at Aganampudi toll plaza, lamented T Shyam, a local resident.