Citizens are unhappy with government authorities with the way the road tax is being charged. People have asked the agencies to be transparent and correct the procedures of charging the toll.
It is difficult to have information from governmental agencies on toll collection and more over the process needs to be systematically corrected. All these were said by activist Mr. Deshpande at a public seminar which was organized by Sajag Nagrik Manch.
The entire toll collection system has been made complex, all thanks to the many clauses, which have put in by different authorities in various contracts. Deshpande also said the study of these contracts is required.
According to Mr. Vivek Velankar, the founder of Sajag Magrik Manch, the charging of toll for roads usage has now moved from highways to internal roads of the city. In Kolhapur a totally new model of toll collection might be implemented. If it does, it will be the common man who will suffer.
Vivek questioned both the state and central government on the usage of tax collected from people for the maintenance of road. He insisted that there in no need of collecting toll, when we are paying taxes to the government for road maintenance in form of tax on petrol etc. In addition to it the distance between two toll booths also needs be too addressed. The distance which was 80 Km in 1998 is now just 60 Km in 2011.
