New
Delhi: By the time you read this, the biggest barrier between Delhi and
Gurgaon would have gone. At the stroke of Wednesday midnight, the toll
gate — that had been a nightmare for commuters for years — got scrapped.
The highways ministry issued a notification within hours of the Delhi
high court giving its go-ahead to the removal of the toll plaza.
This is the first instance in the country of a toll plaza being removed before the contract period ended. The expressway was one of the first big projects developed on the public-private-partnership model. Over 2 lakh people in Delhi and Gurgaon now take the expressway daily.
This is the first instance in the country of a toll plaza being removed before the contract period ended. The expressway was one of the first big projects developed on the public-private-partnership model. Over 2 lakh people in Delhi and Gurgaon now take the expressway daily.
The scrapping of the 32-lane toll plaza was possible because all parties concerned — National Highways Authority of India, expressway operator Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd and the lead banker, Infrastructure Development Finance Company — reached a settlement after a prolonged legal battle in which serious charges of financial irregularities were levelled against DGSCL. Free ride to Gurgaon but hefty toll at Kherki Dhaula
A single-judge bench of Justice Manmohan Singh on Wednesday passed the consent order, paving the way for dismantling 12 of the 16 toll lanes on the Gurgaon-Delhi carriageway.
“This will bring huge relief since all other toll gates will remain open till the time the structure is removed. The four lanes on the Delhi side will be used to collect entry tax on commercial vehicles by the Delhi municipal body,” said a senior government official.
Earlier, NHAI, DGSCL and IDFC had submitted a draft consent order for removal of toll plaza and replacing of the present operator. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had moved the court, wanting to be a respondent in the matter, but the court turned down its plea.
While it will be a toll-free drive till Gurgaon, those going further will have to pay a higher toll at the Kherki Dhaula exit. For cars, this will be Rs 56 for a oneway trip. NHAI chairman R P Singh said that to address Haryana government’s concern about likely congestion at Kherki Dhaula toll plaza, there is already a plan to fast-track electronic toll collection through tags that can be used across all toll plazas.
