Soon, commercial vehicles to pay toll in Vatva GIDC

Now, get ready to pay toll tax as soon as your commercial vehicle enters the Vatva Industrial Estate area.

With an aim to create a fund for maintaining infrastructure developed in the area, the Vatva Industries Association plans to impose toll tax on all commercial vehicles including four wheelers. 

Soon, the area will also be protected by boundary walls.

The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) plans to cover all industrial estates with building boundaries so as to enhance security in the estate, said Kirit Patel, president of Vatva Industries Association. The wall will help unit holders to curb the menace of theft in the estate, he said. 

Moreover, for better safety, the number of entrances will be reduced and each will be fortified with enhanced security system.

"We are planning to collect toll tax from the unit holders for four wheelers and also from the vehicles used for commercial purposes," said Patel.

This initiative will help the estate to create fund that will be used for maintaining the infrastructure facilities in the estate, which has undergone a massive change in roads and other infrastructure.

However, the maintenance of the facilities is as important as creating it, said Patel.  The estate is also facing problem of illegal release of chemical effluence in the estate area.

"With a boundary wall covering the estate, the incidences of releasing chemical hazards in the estate area in illegal manner too can be curbed. If any such incident occurs, the vehicle and owner can be traced on the basis of the record with the guards," said Bipin Patel, chairman of the Green Environment Services Cooperative Society Ltd (GESCSL).

The factory owners will not find it difficult to pay a few thousand rupees for their cars as they are getting better roads in return. Moreover, the estate is also planning to create parking facilities for commercial vehicles coming to the estate.

This will ensure safety of the goods as well as the vehicles, Patel said, and added that it will take about two years for the association to implement its plan.

The VIA will also use electricity poles and signages for advertisement purposes and earn money from it. To help workers, the estate has demanded that Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Services start a circular route in the estate area.

As a part of making the industrial estate pollution-free and increase its green belt, the association plans to create green patches on both sides of the Kharicut canal passing through the estate area.

"We will make the canal's walls pucca and plant around 11,000 trees on both sides of around 3.5 kilometre long canal," said Patel. 

The roads have been built from a grant given by the central government. Some of the internal roads are yet to be constructed and the state government has agreed to allot money for building them, he said.