E-way firm rakes in moolah, fails to give users their due

Despite earning more than Rs. 17 crore as monthly toll fee, the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway operator failed to provide facilities or ease traffic chaos, Sanjeev K Ahuja reports.

Despite earning more than Rs. 17 crore as monthly toll fee, the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway operator failed to provide facilities or ease traffic chaos.

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This callous attitude of the Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) was slammed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday which restrained toll tax collection for the next 15 days.

Daily traffic jams at the toll plaza, severe waterlogging during monsoon, lack of pedestrian facilities and road infrastructure are some of the problems faced by commuters.

There are only nine flyovers and five footover bridges on the entire 27.7-km stretch.Since January 2008, when the expressway was thrown open to the public, the stretch has earned the toll operator and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) a total amount of R795 crore (up to July 2012).

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The court directive has come as a blow to NHAI as well as DGSCL as the two bodies had a revenue-sharing agreement on 50:50 basis.

Around 5 lakh local commuters and inter-state vehicles headed to Jaipur and beyond pay toll at three locations -Delhi-Gurgaon border, Kherki Daula and at the IGI Airport loop.

The monthly tax collected from these three toll plazas is Rs. 11 crore, Rs. 6 crore and Rs. 9 lakhs, respectively.