You may have seen toll contracts of public roads given to companies owned or related local politicians in India. In the UK, a 62 year old British businessman Mike Watts has opened a private toll road allowing drivers to avoid a 14-mile detour.
He built the road when a landslide was the reason for the closing down of the A431 road between Bath and Bristol. Watts saw this as a business opportunity and immediately built his own private toll road across a field, allowing residents to avoid the 14-mile detour caused by the closed road. The road was built in approximately two weeks and measures 365 meters in length, 7 meters in width and allows two-way traffic.
PS : Image used for representation only
Mike Watts blew around 150,000 GBP for the constructio of this road, and according to his estimate, the same amount will be required for the maintenance and management costs in the following five months until the A431 is open again. To get back the amount invested in this road, he charges a 2 GBP fee for each car and 1 GBP for motorbikes for a one-way trip. People buying 12 passes have to pay 10 GBP.
With the amount of vehicles plying on this road, Mike Watts is confident of getting his 300,000 GBP investment in the coming five months. The road was thrown open to the public last Friday.
Can you imagine such a thing happening in our country ? What are your views on this ? Let us know your views by penning them down in the comments section below.
via : dailymail.co.uk