Stop toll collection for Chennai-Bengaluru highway till road is made usable: Dayanidhi Maran

CHENNAI: DMK MP from Chennai Central Dayanidhi Maran has urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to suspend toll collection on the Chennai–Bengaluru highway (NH-48) till the road is restored to a safe and usable condition.

The highway is riddled with potholes and uneven surfaces and construction work along various stretches, Maran said in his letter dated September 11, which was circulated on Wednesday.

He also reminded Gadkari that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also written to him about the poor road condition.

Urging the union minister to take immediate steps to resolve the issues with NH-48 and expedite necessary repair and construction work there, Dayanidhi Maran also requested that the collection of toll along the route be suspended "as a relief to the commuters who suffer through this hazardous journey daily."

The MP reasoned that "given the state of the road, it is unjustifiable that toll fees continue to be levied for the highway.

"Commuters are being charged for a service that is clearly not being provided. Toll collection should be linked to the proper upkeep of roads, and in this instance, the quality of the road is far from acceptable," he emphasised.

Maran also recalled the comment of Chief Minister Stalin who said that he had to resort to train travel for recent visits to several districts due to the condition of the highway.

He noted that the NH-48 providing vital connectivity from Chennai and its ports to major industrial clusters in Kancheepuram, Vellore, Ranipet, Hosur, and Krishnagiri, was essential for transportation of goods and services from Chennai to the industrial hubs. "However, lack of adequate maintenance and prolonged construction delays on the NH were causing immense strain on both public and industrial traffic, the MP pointed out.

Despite the Chief Minister's support in expediting the National Highways Authority of India project, including granting of exemptions and permissions from the forest department, and facilitating land acquisition, the six-laning work in the Sriperumbudu-Walajapet section of the NH was stalled, leaving the road in an extremely poor state, which has led to widespread frustration among road users, Dayanidhi Maran added.