(1) Any person appointed to collect tolls may refuse any vehicle or animal to pass through a toll-bar until the toll due on such vehicle or animal, as the case may be, has been paid.
(2) If the toll due on any vehicle or animal is not paid on demand the person appointed to collect the same may, without prejudice to the liability of any person for prosecution under any provision of this Act, seize the vehicle or animal, or such part of its load, if any, as may be sufficient in value to defray the toll, and if any toll remains unpaid for twenty-four hours, with the cost arising from such seizure, the case shall be brought before such officer as may be appointed by the Commissioners to superintend the collection of the said toll, who may, after issue of notice to hold a sale by auction not later than noon of the third following day, exclusive of Sunday or any closed holiday, sell the property seized for discharge of the toll and all expenses occasioned by such non-payment, seizure and sale and cause any balance that may remain, to be returned, on demand, to the owner of the property:
Provided that if at any time before the sale has been concluded, the person whose property has been seized tenders to the officer holding the sale, the amount of all the expenses incurred and double the toll payable, the said officer shall forthwith release the property seized.
(3) If the load or part thereof seized under sub-section (2) consists of articles which are subject to speedy and natural decay, or consists of livestock, the same may forthwith be sold and the sale-proceeds dealt with in the manner specified in sub-section (2).
The Hooghly River Bridge Act, 1969..
XXXVI of 1969.1 (Sections 14-18.)
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the surplus of the sale-proceeds of any property seized under this section may be utilised for the payment of any fine imposed for contravention of the provisions of section 14, and any property which has been seized under this section may be sold for the realisation of any such fine.
14. No person taking through a toll-gate any vehicle or animal shall refuse to pay the toll due on such vehicle or animal or shall fraudulently avoid payment of such toll.
15. No person who is appointed under this Act to collect tolls shall demand or take any toll other than that authorised.
under this Act.
Prohibition of refusal or avoidance of payment of toll.
Prohibition of taking unauthorised tolls.
16. The Commissioners may compound for any period not Compoexceeding one year at a time, with any person for a certain sition in Film to be paid by such person for a fixed number of vehicles t reespect of olls. or animals to be taken by him through a toll-gate, in. lieu of the ordinary toll payable.
17. All police-officers shall be bound to assist the toll- Policecollectors when required, and, for that purpose, shall have °Moors the same powers as they have in the exercise of their ordinary to assist.
police duties.