Toll system soon on Southern Highway
Irangika Range
A toll will be charged based on total distance driven by vehicles on
the Southern Highway. “Road users will have to pay a toll depending on
the number of kilometres driven on the highway,” a Ports and Highways
Ministry’s spokesman said.
He said that toll charges related to each type of vehicle would be
published through a gazette notification shortly. The new southern
highway would be confined only to fast-moving vehicles with slow-moving
vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, tractors, etc, would be banned.
“This would be an access controlled highway and only four types of
vehicles such as motor cars and vans, passenger transporting buses,
lorries and containers would be allowed to ply on this highway”. “There
will be restrictions on the types of vehicles such as three-wheelers,
bicycles, motorcycles and tractors, which were unable to maintain a
maximum speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour on the southern highway.
The access controlled expressway would have 8 interchanges, such as
Kottawa, Kahatuduwa, Gelanigama, Dodangoda, Welipenna, Kurundugaha,
Nayapamula and Pinnaduwa for vehicle to enter.
Vehicles would be allowed to enter or exit the highway only through
interchanges.
He said that tolls would be collected manually and tickets issued.
Accordingly, three ticket issuing centers would be set up at entry
points with two centres at exit points.
These centers would be operated 24 hours a day. He said the tickets
would be issued for vehicles at entry points, while road users would
have to pay the toll fees at the exit points of the highway.
Vehicles would be charged per total distance driven in a defined
area.
A special police division for traffic control on highways, would be
set up in the Police Department and the traffic control on the Southern
highway would be done by this special unit.
Meanwhile, the expressway would have fuel station, paramedics and
fire brigade,” he added.
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