Udupi: Local vehicles are exempted from paying the toll in the toll gate that is put up on the inner road at Hejamady. However, the local drivers got irate and resorted to protest since toll collection was started on the inner road, which falls under the PWD (old MBC road), on the morning of Sunday, September 2nd.

Consequently, a meeting was held at the Hejamady police outpost in which representatives of Navyug Company, Kaup tahsildar, police officials and members of National Highway Agitation Committee took part. Eventually it was decided at the meeting to not collect toll on the inner road.

Navyug Company has to complete all the works including the signal lights and make way for the smooth flow of traffic. Relaxation from paying the toll should be given to local light vehicles, service buses and commercial vehicles with yellow number plates that fall under the Hejamady limits.

“Navyug Company has not fulfilled any promises made to the public. Service road is not built for the vehicles to enter from the northern part to the village of Hejamady. Skywalk is not built for locals to cross the road near the highway.

The water supply pipes that were broken during the work have not been set right. Due to this the road of PWD is completely damaged. This has to be repaired. We will not tolerate collection of toll without completing all these pending work,” pointed out Dr Deviprasad Shetty, president of national highway agitation committee.