A protest march demanding the closure of the tollgate at Brahmarakootlu was held on Tuesday, under the leadership of former minister B Ramanath Rai. The protest, organised by the Toll Gate Action Committee, began at BC Road (Brahmashree Narayana Guru Circle) and proceeded up to the Brahmarakootlu tollgate.
Addressing the gathering, Ramanath Rai said the toll gate at Brahmarakootlu is unscientific, and asserted that various forms of protest would continue until it is removed. He added that the march was organised to create awareness among the people of Dakshina Kannada on the issue.
Muneer Katipalla, convenor of the action committee, said, "The toll plaza at Brahmarakootlu stands merely 34 km from the national highway toll collection point at Talapady, while another is situated 45 km away in Hejmadi. Additionally, the NHAI plans to establish a toll collection facility at Mani, positioned just 15 km from Brahmarakootlu. The authority is levying charges at these toll plazas, treating each as separate road projects. We consistently demand that toll collection points should maintain a minimum distance of 60 km between them, a stance that the government continues to support."
Functionaries from various parties and organisations were present at the protest, which aimed to highlight the burden on commuters due to multiple toll plazas in close proximity. The action committee has vowed to intensify the agitation if their demands are not met by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Ramanath Rai, a senior Congress leader, emphasised that the tollgate violates norms and causes financial hardship to local residents. He called upon the government to intervene and ensure that the toll collection points are spaced appropriately as per existing guidelines. The protest marks the beginning of a series of demonstrations planned by the committee to press for the removal of the unscientific toll plaza.
