The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) plans to provide free tea or coffee to those who undertake night travel on the 302-km access controlled Lucknow-Agra Expressway.
“We are ready to foot the bill that would come on offering free hot beverages to commuters. If it encourages safe driving and helps avoid accidents it would be worth the effort,” UPEIDA chief Awanish Awasthi said after a meeting of UPEIDA officials on Sunday.
As per a recent order, commuters on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway would have to pay toll tax from the next couple of days.
Two-wheeler drivers would have to pay 50% less tax than what car and vehicle drivers would be required to pay as toll tax. Awasthi explained that the move is an attempt to ensure, what he called, “serious drivers” on the expressway.
“If we don’t put a charge on two wheelers, we suspect that many non-serious drivers would also take the expressway. This would, besides creating traffic issues on the expressway, also lead to potential driving risks that we want to reduce,” he said.
He said the free coffee-on-the-expressway idea is born out of the belief that coffee would keep the drivers alert, and awake, making their drive safe.
Meanwhile, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has offered to lay optical fibres and put up CCTV cameras and phone helplines on the expressway.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has offered to lay optical fibres and put up CCTV cameras and phone helplines on the expressway.
{{/usCountry}}Optical fibres are used by telecom companies to transmit phone signals, internet and the government plans to offer free wi-fi facility all along the six-lane expressway route.
The UPEIDA has also sanctioned nine police outposts on the expressway and they are expected to come up in phases in Agra, Ferozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur, Unnao and Lucknow.
The BJP government also proposes to set up eateries and petrol pumps on the route that so far doesn’t have any. These eateries and petrol pumps could come up soon at specific points on each side of the expressway, almost 100 km apart, an official said.