‘Bengaluru must…’: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw joins the chorus to abolish toll plaza at airport road

Earlier, former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai slammed the idea of keeping an NH toll plaza right before the way that goes to the airport.

Biocon Ltd executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw joined former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai in demanding the abolishment of the toll collection practice at Bengaluru airport. After reports suggested that the plaza on NH 44 near Devanahalli, which takes passengers to the airport, has generated a total of ₹1,577 crore over the past decade, there has been an online demand questioning the requirement of a toll plaza there.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw joined former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai in demanding the abolishment of the toll collection practice at Bengaluru airport.(HT Photo)

Here is what she said

In an X post, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said, “A justified demand to remove toll plaza at #Devanahalli before entering Bengaluru airport. Agree with @TVMohandasPai, Bengaluru must be brought at par with other cities.”

 

Earlier, Pai slammed the idea of keeping an NH toll plaza right before the way that goes to the airport. He said, “Karnataka's highest revenue toll plaza: Devanahalli toll plaza Bengaluru International Airport collects record Rs308 crFY24 -Very high charges, only toll road to the airport, needs to be abolished.”

According to a report in The Indian Express, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) achieved a historic milestone by handling 37.53 million passengers and over 439,000 metric tonnes of cargo in the past year. This remarkable surge significantly boosted revenue at the toll plaza. Additionally, National Highway 44 (NH 44), a crucial route for commercial vehicles connecting Karnataka with neighbouring states, ensured steady traffic and consistent earnings.

Speaking inside the Parliament, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stressed the toll plaza’s ₹308 crore revenue for 2023-24, highlighting its role in Karnataka’s infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates Kempegowda International Airport, increased the fee for designated pickup points at both airport terminals in Bengaluru. The BIAL has increased the 20-40% fee for designated pickup points in the airport. For Uber, it is increased to 230 from 187 at Terminal 1, whereas at Terminal 2, it is increased from 187 to 260. For Ola, it has increased from 172 to 215 at both terminals. This move led the cab aggregators to increase the overall prices for trips to Bengaluru airport.