E-Paper
10 toll counters to ease rush at Gurgaon plaza
The crazy traffic jams on the 32-lane Delhi toll plaza of the Gurgaon Expressway are expected to ease a bit from Friday.
The crazy traffic jams on the 32-lane Delhi toll plaza of the Gurgaon Expressway are expected to ease a bit from Friday.
Motorists, who spend up to 30 minutes during peak traffic trying to get past the toll gates, would have access to 10 more payment booths.
The additional booths have been set up after a July 31 directive by the Punjab and Haryana high court, which had threatened to stop the operator - Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) - from collecting toll after August 16, the next hearing of the case.
DGSCL installed six toll collection terminals for Delhi-bound traffic on Thursday and said the remaining four would be ready by Friday.
A DGSCL spokesperson said the additional toll booths were part of a new traffic configuration to ease congestion.
The spokesperson said a free passage system has been introduced in two lanes for traffic going to Delhi. Motorists using these lanes would be paying toll at the 10 new collection terminals set up about 100 metres ahead of the existing booth, helping reduce the waiting period.
The Delhi toll plaza has been witness to frequent arguments between motorists and toll collection staff over the long waiting periods. The delay in paying toll has increased travel time for office-goers between Delhi and Gurgaon.
The 28-km Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway has two toll plazas on NH-8 - one at the Delhi border (32 lanes) and the other at Kherki Daula for travelling towards Jaipur (16 lanes). There is another three-lane toll plaza at the IGI airport loop.
Around two lakh vehicles cross the Delhi border toll plaza on weekdays. The traffic is smoother during the weekends.
The high court's order to DGSCL came on a petition filed by it, seeking directions to the authorities to ensure smooth operation at the toll plaza after locals agitated to demand a toll-free passage.
