Toll collection at KMP expressway to start from Friday

The Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) is likely to start toll collection at the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway

The Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) is likely to start toll collection at the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway from Friday morning. HSIIDC had stopped collecting toll at the 11 toll points located on the KMP expressway during the lockdown period implemented in March by the central government to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country.

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HSIIDC officials said that all arrangements are in place for toll collection to restart. Vipin Sharma, head of the department, KMP expressway, HSIIDC, said, “We’ll start collecting toll at KMP expressway from Friday. Traffic on the road has started increasing so we thought we should resume collecting toll.”

Officials said that they have laid out a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for the operators at the toll plaza, wherein booth operators have to maintain a social distance from commuters. Booth operators will also have to sanitise cash using heat blowers before putting it in the cash register.

Navneet Singh, CEO, Skylark, which has a revenue assurance contract with HSIIDC at KMP expressway, said, “We have instructed our 300 toll operators on the expressway to keep enough distance from commuters.” Just like the Kherki-Daula toll plaza in Gurugram, booth operators at KMP expressway will blow-dry cash bills to sanitise them. “We have given toll operators tongs and plastic baskets to take cash from commuters so that they can maintain enough distance from them,” Singh added. All toll checkpoints have been sanitised and the booth operators taught how to maintain hygiene during this period, a toll official said.

The ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) had shut all toll plazas in the country from March 25 to April 19, following which it reopened them after relaxations issued by the Centre. Even though the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plazas became operational in April itself, HSIIDC has decided to resume toll operations from Friday.

The 135.6 km KMP expressway became fully operational in 2018 and covers five districts—Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Mewat and Palwal.