Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Feb 26: In an incident that occurred on Wednesday, February 26 at Talapady toll gate, angry public and personnel of private buses kept their vehicles obstructing the movement of other vehicles through the tollgate as a mark of protest for making the toll gate as the last stop for private buses, thereby putting the general public in trouble.
Ullal police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the unruly mob gathered at the place.
The city bus owners were asserting that they cannot pay the toll fee fixed by the authorities. Since the last 40 years, these buses have provided safe and efficient service to the public. However, now after the Talapady toll gate is constructed, they are asked to pay lac of rupees per year as toll, which is not justified. Moreover, people have their vehicles, thereby considerably reducing the number of people travelling by buses.
Private bus owners even requested the toll authorities that they will pay a nominal amount. But the toll gate authorities did not agree for the same. The meeting that took place in Ullal police station in this regard also failed to yield any positive outcome.
On February 9, the public of Talapady, owners of private buses plying to Talapady and Gadinadu Rakshana Vedike gathered in front of the toll gate and tried to work out a solution for the problem but failed.
The locals approached the DC and submitted an appeal in this regard. The DC then ordered the assistant commissioner of police and Ullal station officers to resolve the matter. But the tollgate officials did not budge from their stand even after the DC's request. So the buses were alighting the passengers in front of the tollgate itself without taking them to the actual Talapady stop. Students, elderly people, pregnant women and children had to walk half a km from toll gate to their destination because of this issue.
The irked public put up some temporary shops in front of the tollgate from 7 am on Wednesday, February 26 and urged the private buses to take them till Talapady stops instead of making U-turn in front of the toll gate. Due to the pressure of the public, the private buses ferried them to the last stop through the toll gate from 7 am to 9 am on Wednesday, without paying the toll.
The toll gate officials pressurized the private buses to pay toll after 9 am. This caused the private buses to stand in a queue at the cash counter. This meant that the private buses were not able to maintain the schedule given by RTO. Following which, all the buses parked in front of the gate started protesting. Due to this, on one side vehicles were lined up to Manjeshwar and on the other till KC Road, which led to a chaotic situation.
People in large numbers gathered in front of the toll gate and expressed their anger against the tollgate authorities. Ullal police who arrived on the spot took to task the private bus personnel. A tense situation ensued at the spot and police resorted to mild lathi-charge to control the crowd.
Traffic at Talapady got disrupted for more than one hour and passengers, especially students felt the brunt. When the enraged mob did not budge from the tollgate, ACP Kodandarama assured the public that they will hold a meeting on February 29 in the presence of DC, MP and toll officials. Moments later, the public to dispersed from the spot. However, the difficulty of passengers is seeing no end as the buses are making a U-turn in front of the toll gate without actually going to the Talapady stop on the other side of the toll gate.