SAMBALPUR: Members of five regional vehicle owners' associations stopped the moverment of commercial vehicles on the busy Biju Expressway for two hours on Sunday, in protest against the collection of toll by the booth located at Pradhanpali area in Sambalpur district.The Sambalpur Truck Owners' Association, the Building Material Transporters' Association, the Mini-Truck Owners' Association, the Taxi Association and the Rengali Truck Owners Association organised the blockade after the resumption of toll collection from Rengali-bound Sambalpur vehicles. They, however, allowed the movement of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers through the expressway, during the agitation."The vehicles bearing registration number of Sambalpur district should be exempt from toll at the Pradhanpali plaza . The vehicles of Sambalpur frequently go to Rengali, which is just 22 kilometres away from Sambalpur city. Vehicles of Rengali area also come to Sambalpur frequently. It is not possible for us to pay toll every time we go to Rengali," said a truck owner. As tension gripped the toll booth area, police rushed to the spot and held discussions with the agitators, persuading them to call off the strike. However, the discussions failed to yeild any result. "We took 52 persons into preventive custody, apprehending the escalation of the situation. The agitators were later released on bond," said sub-divisional police officer, Mihir Panda.Toll collection on the Biju Expressway has been a cause for simmering anger among vehicle plyers for the past week. The expressway was dedicated to the people on March 12 and collection of toll at the Pradhanpali toll plaza began on March 13. "We were opposed to the collection of toll at that point. Subsequently, toll collection from vehicles of Sambalpur district was stopped and a meeting was convened at the office of the district collector. The district administration assured us that they will appeal to the government over the issue and toll will not be collected from vehicles of Sambalpur district at the Pradhanpali toll plaza till government takes a decision in this regard," said the president of Sambalpur Building Material Transporters Association, Sameer Babu

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