More toll booths on e-way, concession for residents: NHAI

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has promised to increase the number of toll collection booths in each lane from one to two on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has promised to increase the number of toll collection booths in each lane from one to two on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

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It would also come up with a toll concession scheme for residents and local commercial vehicles. Now, residents have to pay only 50% of the tax, while local commercial vehicles have to shell out 33% of the toll.

Officials, however, refused to allow free access to traffic in the service lanes saying that would result in loss of revenue as commuters would avoid paying toll.

These assurances came from the NHAI top brass when a delegation of Toll Hatao Sangharsh Samiti (THSS) called on the secretary of ministry of surface transport and highways and NHAI chairman AK Upadhayay on Monday in New Delhi.

THSS, along with representations from various resident welfare associations, has been up in arms to demand removal of the Delhi border toll plaza from the expressway for long.

"We apprised senior NHAI officials that as there is severe traffic congestion at the toll plaza during peak hours, the number of toll collectors and cabins should be increased to speed up toll collection. At present, each of the 32 lanes at the toll plaza has just one toll collection booth with one person each. We had demanded two more toll booths in each lane but NHAI officials assured us that one more booth in each lane was a workable formula and it would be given due consideration," said RS Rathee of THSS.

Other members of the association said that that as per the concessionaire agreement between NHAI and expressway operator, the toll tax rate was fixed at 50% for locals and 33% for local commercial vehicles.

"NHAI officials also told us that the revised scheme for the concessional rates was in drafting stage and it would be disclosed within a week. However, they refused to allow free access to traffic in service lanes saying that it would result in loss of toll revenue," a member said.