OMR residents want Navalur toll plaza removed

CHENNAI: Residents of Old Mahabalipuram Road have requested chief minister M K Stalin to remove the Navalur toll plaza as road space and service roads have been shrinking there because of ongoing metro rail work.
The Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) represents more than 150 apartment associations, with 40,000 homes and 3,00,000 citizens who live around OMR.
"With the metro rail construction progressing in the southern half of OMR (between Sholinganallur and Navalur), the road has been reduced to just 2 lanes on each side, causing inconvenience to residents. The toll continues to be collected despite the reduced road width. The 6-lane OMR has become a 4-lane road, but Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation continues to charge the full rate," said Harsha Koda, co-founder, FOMRRA.
Motorists go through a lot of trouble and have to put up with heavy traffic jams due to CMRL work near the Navalur toll, said Satish Galley, a social activist from OMR.
"The TNRDC has removed all the tolls in OMR due to CMRL work and only the Navalur toll is functioning. Removing this toll will allow free flow of traffic like in other areas of OMR," he said.
Harsha added that for the CMRL work, the street lights have been cut off. "Sun guns have been installed instead to carry out the work. But the light hits harshly on the face and it is hard to see the road," he said.
Harsha said the DMK had organized a protest in December 2020 for removing toll dates in which OMR residents had also participated. In August 2021, the residents got some relief when 4 toll booths SRP Tools, Pallikaranai Radial Road, Medavakkam Road and Karunanidhi Salai of the 5 were closed.
"Highways minister E V Velu announced the closure of the gates, citing the start of metro rail construction work as the reason. Officials told us this gate, too, would be closed when the construction work intensifies in the southern part of OMR. But nothing has happened so far," he said.
Besides, residents also feel that the toll rates are high. Minister Velu had said there was a sub-section in the NHAI rules that said there should not be any toll plaza within 10 km of municipalities and corporations.
"The Navalur toll is merely 1km from the Greater Chennai Corporation limits," added Harsha Koda.
Meanwhile, TNRDC officials said the issue will be taken up with the government and further decisions will be taken.