Speed breakers being removed at Kherki-Daula toll plaza

Gurugram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has asked Millennium City Expressway Private Limited (MCEPL), the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire,

Gurugram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has asked Millennium City Expressway Private Limited (MCEPL), the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire, to do away with all speed breakers in front of the toll booths at the Kherki Daula toll plaza. The highways authority wants to ensure a smooth flow of traffic from January 15, when FASTags are implemented.

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In a telephonic conversation, Ashok Sharma, the project director, NHAI Gurugram, asked S Raghuraman, CEO, MCEPL, to do away with all speed breakers at the toll plaza, said MCEPL officials familiar with the matter. There are nearly 25 such speed breakers in total in the lanes of the toll plaza.

S Raghuraman, CEO, MCEPL, said, “The NHAI Gurugram officials had asked us to remove all speed breakers at the toll plaza.” The concessionaire added that NHAI officials told them that since FASTags have been launched, there is no reason for commuters to stop in front of a toll booth. Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI Gurugram, said, “The decision to remove speed breakers has been taken to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic in FASTag lanes.”

The highways concessionaire, MCEPL, said they are removing the speed breakers in a phased manner. Anish John, systems manager, MCEPL, said, “We have started removing the speed breakers from Friday and are doing it in a phased manner. It doesn’t take long for the speed breakers to be removed. All breakers will be removed by Friday evening.”

The toll operator Skylark, however, is not convinced with the idea of removing the speed breakers as the company apprehends that lives of toll staffers might be endangered due to speeding vehicles. Skylark officials said that there are many people who are still paying toll through cash. On an average around 2,500-3,000 vehicles are paying double the amount of toll as they enter into cash lanes.

Rajendra Singh Bhati, project head, Kherki Daula toll plaza, said, “The number of commuters who are paying double the amount of toll by entering into a FASTag lane is substantial. So, if all the speed breakers are removed, the commuters who are paying through cash won’t stop.” The speed breakers were originally installed as a deterrent for commuters to slow down and pay the toll, Bhati added.

Commuters, however, see the decision to remove speed breakers as a positive move. In fact, some even questioned NHAI’s own rules. In 2016, the road transport ministry has asked state governments and the NHAI to remove all speed breakers on the national highway.

Suman Singh, a daily commuter who works in Manesar, said, “I don’t understand the logic behind installing speed breakers; they should never be constructed. This shows that the NHAI did not properly read through rules framed by the ministry of road transport and highways.”

Some commuters, however, said that speed breakers should not be removed as the boom barriers are still there. Praveen Malik, vice-president, United Association of New Gurugram, a group of New Gurugram residents, said, “There was no point of removing the speed breakers at the toll plaza. A commuter paying through cash entering a FASTag lane might be encouraged to speed up in the absence of speed breakers. If there are no speed breakers, it is natural that they might crash into the barriers.”