Passengers stranded due to road blockades near toll-plazas

Hoshiarpur, Apr 7 (UNI) Hundreds of passengers in buses, cars and trucks were stranded today following road blockades near toll-plazas installed on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis on the Balachaur-Dasuya and Hoshiarpur-Tanda roads.

Private bus, truck and autorickshaw operators blocked traffic at Nangal Shaheedan toll plaza and at Lachowal toll plaza for more than three hours in protest against the authorities of these toll-plazas for breaking a truce of charging toll once a day instead of each trip of passing of their vehicle till April 15.

The blockade left hundreds of passengers, including women and children in buses, cars and trucks stranded on the either side of these toll-plazas.

Later, Mr Pritam Singh, SDM, Hoshiarpur, intervened and assured the agitators that authorities of these toll-plazas would charge toll fee once a day up to April 15 as mutually agreed by both the parties.

He said that the case has already been sent to the Punjab Government for taking a final decision in the matter. Only then the agitators lifted the blockades.

Mr Bharat Bhushan Verma, a spokesman of the District Sangarsh Committee spearheading the agitation, alleged that the authorities of toll-plazas started charging toll from the autorickshaw owners in the name of cars whereas there was no provision of charging toll from the autorickshaw in the toll fee schedule.

Mr Ashok Rana, Incharge, toll-plaza at Nangal Shaheedan, said that according to mutual understanding, no toll fee would be charged from the autorickshaws till April 15 as the matter was pending with the State Government.

UNI