Police to keep vigil during peak hours, NHAI  to deploy 14 staff at 14 entry / exit points

Mysore/Mysuru: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Police Department are set to launch a joint crackdown on motorists illegally entering and exiting the main carriageway of the Mysuru-Bengaluru National Highway-275 to evade toll charges.

The practice, apart from causing revenue loss, has emerged as a major safety concern on the access-controlled Highway, where vehicles travel at speeds of 80 kmph to 100 kmph. Officials said, sudden entry and exit movements from service roads onto the main carriageway significantly increase the risk of accidents.

While the Police Department has decided to intensify penalties during peak traffic hours, when violations are most frequent, the NHAI will deploy a dedicated 14-member team to monitor illegal access points along the Highway.

Incidentally, on May 24, a KSRTC bus (KA 11 F 0464) was filmed entering the Highway through an exit route. A commuter recorded the violation on video and uploaded it to X. In response to the complaint, KSRTC stated that the matter has been forwarded to the concerned Division for                              appropriate action.

Officials identified more than 14 key entry and exit points along the 119-km corridor where motorists bypass toll plazas at Sheshagirihalli and Kaniminike near Bidadi, as well as the Gananguru toll plaza near Srirangapatna.

The easy connectivity between the service roads and the Highway near Ramanagara, Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna and Srirangapatna has made toll evasion increasingly common.

DIG initiative

The joint enforcement drive follows a directive issued by Deputy Inspector General of Police and Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety K. Parashuram to Highway patrol units in Ramanagara, Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna, instructing them to strictly penalise motorists violating one-way traffic rules (entering through exits and exiting through entries).

Earlier, the NHAI had installed concrete barricades at several access points on both the service roads and the main carriageway to prevent motorists from avoiding toll plazas. However, officials said that violators continue to exploit gaps between the barricades to gain illegal access.

The issue has persisted for months, with commuters routinely entering the high-speed corridor through exit ramps to bypass toll booths or take shortcuts. The violations are particularly rampant near Ramanagara and beyond the Gananguru toll plaza, where long uninterrupted stretches make illegal  re-entry easier.

Areas of violation

According to NHAI sources, several Bengaluru-bound motorists exit near Lakshmisagara or Bidadi before reaching the Sheshagirihalli toll plaza, use the service roads and later re-enter the Highway through exit ramps, unofficial openings or by driving in the wrong direction.

Similar violations have also been reported near Hanumanthnagar and Hosadoddi, enabling motorists to bypass the Kaniminike toll stretch. In some cases, vehicles travel unchecked for nearly 70 kilometres, with Gananguru near Srirangapatna emerging as another major hotspot.

Authorities had initially explored the option of installing additional physical barricades, but the proposal was dropped due to concerns over congestion on service roads. Officials also noted that temporary barricades could easily be damaged or removed by heavy vehicles during night hours.

Instead, the NHAI has decided to rely on manpower deployment — 14 personnel will be stationed at 14 vulnerable entry and exit junctions, operating from counter-style booths to physically prevent illegal access to the carriageway.

Given staffing constraints in jurisdictional Police wings, enforcement will be carried out dynamically, with a special focus on weekends and peak traffic hours when violations spike.