NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has withdrawn a key policy decision which mandates toll plaza operators to lift the boom barriers and allow vehicles to pass through without paying user fee, if the queue at the toll lane was more than 100 metres. Though the policy guideline specifying this was notified in May 2021, it was hardly followed and there had been numerous complaints of non-compliance.
In a recent policy guidelines for management of toll plazas, the NHAI said that the provision with regard to “service time at toll plazas” stands deleted with immediate effect as “there is no such provision of exemption/ free flow applicable relating to distance of queuing of vehicles at toll plaza as part of transaction as per the NH Fee Rules 2008”.
The provision introduced in 2021 said that the number of toll booths and toll lanes must be enough to ensure that collection of toll or user fee did not take more than 10 seconds at peak hour. “If at any time, the queue of vehicles in any lane becomes more than 100 metres from the toll booth, then the boom barrier of that lane shall be lifted and the free flow of traffic with no tolling allowed till the queue comes within 100 metres.” It added that a yellow line at 100 metres from the toll booth could be marked in each lane and the provision was displayed prominently.
Sources said the NHAI faced huge criticism and there had been several Parliament questions as well with regard to this provision. “It was impossible to enforce such a provision and hence has been deleted,” said a source.
Meanwhile, the NHAI has started a live feed system to monitor the traffic at 100 toll plazas where waiting time is five minutes or more. “Immediate action will be taken to reduce the queue. The plazas has been selected considering the number of complaints from commuters. At a later stage more toll plazas will be brought under this live surveillance,” said an official.
In a recent policy guidelines for management of toll plazas, the NHAI said that the provision with regard to “service time at toll plazas” stands deleted with immediate effect as “there is no such provision of exemption/ free flow applicable relating to distance of queuing of vehicles at toll plaza as part of transaction as per the NH Fee Rules 2008”.
The provision introduced in 2021 said that the number of toll booths and toll lanes must be enough to ensure that collection of toll or user fee did not take more than 10 seconds at peak hour. “If at any time, the queue of vehicles in any lane becomes more than 100 metres from the toll booth, then the boom barrier of that lane shall be lifted and the free flow of traffic with no tolling allowed till the queue comes within 100 metres.” It added that a yellow line at 100 metres from the toll booth could be marked in each lane and the provision was displayed prominently.
Sources said the NHAI faced huge criticism and there had been several Parliament questions as well with regard to this provision. “It was impossible to enforce such a provision and hence has been deleted,” said a source.
Meanwhile, the NHAI has started a live feed system to monitor the traffic at 100 toll plazas where waiting time is five minutes or more. “Immediate action will be taken to reduce the queue. The plazas has been selected considering the number of complaints from commuters. At a later stage more toll plazas will be brought under this live surveillance,” said an official.