Stop ‘highway robbery’ by toll plazas: Manpreet
Tuesday, 31/03/2015
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
CHANDIGARH: Slamming what he described as ‘day-and-night robbery’ by toll plazas in the state, People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal on Monday demanded that this must stop and if at all the issues involved were legal, the toll rates should be rationalised.
“The rate that the toll plaza company proposes to charge from the people using the Kurali-Siswan stretch would be a staggering Rs 6 per km, the highest in the state. This is the one-way rate and the person commuting on this highway by car would have to pay almost double the amount,” he added.
Manpreet pointed out that all the more shocking was the revelation that the state government signed the agreement with the company under the PPP model on December 31, 2012, as per the policy for 2004, while the rate was to be lower in accordance with the policy to come into effect from January 1, 2013.
“This toll of ` 6 per km includes the use of four bridges on the 15km stretch of the highway that connects Kurali with Baddi in Himachal. However, only two bridges have been completed so far,” Manpreet added.
He said the rates of some other toll plazas in the state, too, were being increased from April 1. “The authorities concerned must have a rethink and evolve a model which must take care of the interests of the people also, not just of the companies involved,” the PPP chief said.