Controversy surrounding the exorbitant toll fee being charged at the Kaniyur tollgate is making headlines again with the members of the Commercial Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMV) requesting the district administration to reduce the charges.

G. Sasikumar, one of the owners, had stated that drivers are forced to pay Rs.2730 and Rs.4250 for LMVs and HMVs on monthly basis. The charges are Rs.32,760 and Rs.50,400 per year.

“This is much higher than the road tax we pay, at Rs.2400 for LMVs, and Rs.6100 for HMVs per year,” he said.

Calling the region an industrial belt, Sasikumar said that such increase in the charges has resulted in the reduction of vehicles used which has led to the loss of jobs for thousands of drivers and load-men.

“The industrial corridor extends to about 20 kilometres around the tollgate and vehicles have to frequently cross the tollgate. With the charges so high, we have no option but to drastically reduce the number of vehicles,” he said.

Stating that people around the tollgate largely depend on the powerloom industry for survival, Sivakumar also added that the increase has also resulted in the indirect loss of livelihood of many people.

Demanding drastic revision of toll fees, the members also submitted a petition to the Coimbatore District Collector Archana Patnaik in the presence of Sulur constituency MLA K. Dinakaran.

Meanwhile, members of the Kaniyur NH 544 Tollgate Protest Committee have alleged that the tollgate officials are violating law by collecting money from car, commercial vehicles, and school vans that run within the radius of 10 kilometres from the tollgate. In a petition demanding action against the tollgate management, which was submitted to the Collector, they have stated that tollgates, according to an interim ruling, are not supposed to collect any charges from such vehicles.