Udupi: Deputy commissioner Swaroopa TK said the district administration will write to the secretary of the public works department recommending that the toll concession available to residents near the Sasthan and Shiroor toll plazas be extended to residents within the Hejamady toll plaza limits.She was speaking at a meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office in Rajathadri, Manipal, on Tuesday, to discuss toll collection on national highways in the district.Residents have complained that local vehicles are being granted concessions at the Sasthan and Shiruru toll plazas, while similar provisions are not being implemented in the Hejamady toll area. At Sasthan, local residents within a 10 km radius are eligible for the concession. Residents have urged the authorities to adopt a similar system at Hejamady.The DC said locals living near the Hejamady toll plaza are required to cross it several times a day for work and other routine activities. Paying the toll on every trip causes considerable inconvenience, they said. Exemption from toll payment or the introduction of monthly passes for local and registered vehicles operating within a specified radius will provide relief, she added.Swaroopa directed highway officials and contractors to expedite the construction of service roads in stretches where approvals have already been granted. She also instructed them to prioritise safety measures, including installing road reflectors and streetlights, repairing potholes, improving drainage, and putting up proper signboards at junctions. Such measures will help reduce accidents on national highways, she said.Residents, representatives of various organisations, elected representatives and former public representatives from the Hejamady area raised several concerns at the meeting. They sought the extension of the Sasthan concession to local residents, construction of service roads in certain stretches, installation of streetlights and better conduct by toll plaza staff while dealing with the public.SP Hariram Shankar, additional deputy commissioner Abid Gadyal, public works department executive engineer Kiran S, NHAI project director Abdulla Javed Azmi, engineers, district-level officials and members of the public attended the meeting.
