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DND operator for 20% hike in toll rates from Saturday
If the operator of the DND Flyway has its way, then motorists will have to shell out up to 20% extra for using the toll road from Saturday. Vinod Rajput reports.
If the operator of the DND Flyway has its way, then motorists will have to shell out up to 20% extra for using the toll road from Saturday.
According to the proposal, four-wheelers will have to pay Rs 25 instead of Rs 22, while two-wheelers will have to cough up Rs 14 instead of Rs 11.
Citing provisions in the concession agreement, the chairman of the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL) has sought the permission of the Noida authority to increase the toll rates.
"Concessionaire has not had the right to increase the toll since April 2009 other than a partial 10% increase in November 2011. The toll rates remained stagnant leading to a loss of around R28 crore between 2009-10 and 2011-12, which is mounting on daily basis," said a senior official of the concessionaire. However, the authority is not likely to give in to the concessionaire's demand.
The Noida authority is not likely to give its approval for increasing the DND Flyway toll.
"We have received a couple of letters on toll revision from the concessionaire. The authority will oppose the proposal in public interest. In their last letter, they have sought our permission to hike the toll by September 15," said Sanjeev Saran, the chief executive officer, Noida authority.
However, according to the concession agreement signed between the UP government and NTBL in 1997, the authority does not have much say in the latter's decisions. "The concessionaire is free to hike the fee once a year as the Noida authority and residents do not have much role in toll revision," said an authority official, requesting anonymity.
The NTBCL said it has been incurring huge losses on account of non-revision of toll since 2009. "We have suffered losses up to Rs 3,000 crore so far," said an official of the Flyway.
Resident welfare associations have decided to oppose the move. "We will file a PIL in the high court to scrap the concessionaire agreement," said NP Singh, the president of Federation of RWAs of Noida.
