Mangaluru: A protest march demanding the closure of the tollgate at Brahmarakootlu was held on Tuesday, under the leadership of former minister B Ramanath Rai. The protest, organised by the Toll Gate Action Committee, began at BC Road (Brahmashree Narayana Guru Circle) and proceeded up to the Brahmarakootlu tollgate.Addressing the gathering, Ramanath Rai said the toll gate at Brahmarakootlu is unscientific, and asserted that various forms of protest would continue until it is removed. He added that the march was organised to create awareness among the people of Dakshina Kannada on the issue.Muneer Katipalla, convenor of the action committee, said, “The toll plaza at Brahmarakotlu stands merely 34 km from the national highway toll collection point at Talapady, while another is situated 45 km away in Hejmadi. Additionally, the NHAI plans to establish a toll collection facility at Mani, positioned just 15 km from Brahmarakotlu. The authority is levying charges at these toll plazas, treating each as separate road projects. We consistently demand that toll collection points should maintain a minimum distance of 60 km between them, a stance that the govt continues to support,” he said.Functionaries from various parties and organisations were present.
