Toll-free rides again if Gurgaon mess persists

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday warned that it might be compelled to order that the Sirhaul toll plaza be thrown open to commuters for free ride for at least two peak hours every day if temporary measures to decongest traffic did not work.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday warned that it might be compelled to order that the Sirhaul toll plaza be thrown open to commuters for free ride for at least two peak hours every day if temporary measures to decongest traffic did not work.

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The toll plaza experiences a daily volume of two lakh vehicles and collects Rs 40 lakh toll daily.

The court also suggested that the concessionaire open the boom barriers for at least five minutes in case of congestion.

The court directed Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd (DGSCL), the Delhi Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire, and other stakeholders to discuss further measures on Monday to find a permanent solution to the problem.

One of the measures that will come up for discussion at Monday's meeting is implementation of the electronic card system for commuters.

The DGSCL spokesperson claimed the measures had started yielding good results and the waiting time had dropped to under 3 minutes in peak hours.

All the authorities concerned — DGSCL, the Haryana Urban Development Authority, National Highway Authority of India and Gurgaon police — were told by the bench not to indulge in a blame game and work with public interest in mind.