Road blockade to press demand for cut in toll fee

KalingaTV News Network

Anandpur: Vehicular movement came to a grinding halt on National Highway No. 20 this morning after the Keonjhar private bus owners’ association and four-wheeler passenger vehicle owners staged a road blockade at Hasanpur toll gate demanding slashing of toll fee.

Members of bus owner’s association took to the streets along with hundreds of locals today morning and demonstrated near the Hasanpur toll gate demanding reduction of toll fee and waiver of fees for small traders commuting through the gate. Protesting the dilly dallying policy of the district administration in addressing their demands, the association members, accompanied by hundreds of locals, resorted to a road blockade.

Commuters had a tough time during the blockade as hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the NH-20 for hours.

Notably, private bus owners and four wheeler passenger vehicle owners had expressed their resentment over multiple toll collection on NH-20 in the district in August this year. They had claimed that vehicles passing from Joda to Bhubaneswar have to pay toll at five gates namely Hasanpur, Khantaghar, Banajodi, Panikoili and Tangi putting an unnecessary burden on them.