Bengaluru: Motorists using Ballari Road leading to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will have to pay more to use the tolled expressway. With effect from April 1, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased the single journey toll for cars from Rs 115 to Rs 120 and the return journey ticket from Rs 170 to Rs 180.
Every day, 80,000 to 1 lakh vehicles pass via Sadahalli toll plaza. The hike in the toll fee will impact private car owners, air passengers using taxis to reach KIA, and daily commuters relying on city buses and AC buses operated to KIA.
For LCV/LGG/mini buses, the toll has been increased from Rs 175 to Rs 185 for a single journey and from Rs 265 to Rs 275 for a return journey. For trucks and buses, the fee is up Rs 15 for a single journey (from Rs 355 to Rs 370) and Rs 15 for a return journey (from Rs 535 to Rs 550). The fee for a monthly pass (50 single journeys in a month) for cars has been fixed at Rs 3,970. The local monthly pass is fixed at Rs 350.
The Satellite Toll Ring Road (STRR) stretch currently operational from Dabaspet till Hoskote will also see a toll hike. At both the Nallur-Devanahalli and Hulikunte toll plazas of the 82-km STRR stretch, the toll fee be increased for cars and LCV/LGV by Rs 5 for a single journey and Rs 10 for a return journey. For buses, the single journey ticket will get costlier by Rs 10 for a single journey and Rs 20 for a return journey.
At Nalluru-Devanahalli toll plaza, a fee of Rs 2,815 is fixed for monthly passes for cars and Rs 350 for a local pass. At Hulikunte, the monthly pass is Rs 3,615 for cars and Rs 350 for a local monthly pass. NHAI has built the four-lane road, linking it with the Bengaluru-Chennai Express at Hoskote under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
KB Jayakumar, project director of NHAI, told TOI that the toll hike, effective from April 1, is a routine process. “Every year, across the country, the toll fee gets revised for the majority of the national highways. For using the toll roads linking Bengaluru, the fee is being increased by 3-5%. NHAI approved the revision for Ballari Road and STRR. For other roads such as Tumakuru Road and the Bengaluru-Kolar highway, the revision will happen in Aug and Sept.”
