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New Delhi: In what is a relief for daily commuters, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday declared the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway, to be toll-free.
The DND Flyway connects Delhi on the west bank of the Yamuna with Noida and East Delhi.
Earlier, it had witnessed numerous protests and demonstrations demanding scrapping of the Rs 28 toll.
Just a day before the court’s order, DND Director Monisha Macedo claimed the contract for operating the 9.2 km long road could be extended for two more years.
“We are trying to recover not only the cost of construction. Under the concessionaire agreement, apart from the cost, we also have to earn a return. After all, it’s a private investment that has happened,” Macedo had told IANS.
Asked if the DND will be handed over to the government after 2031, Macedo said,”There is a clause (in the agreement) which says that up to 2031 even if it has not earned returns then it can be extended for two years of time on requesting the Noida administration.”
Speaking about some of the company’s recent initiatives, Macedo said that CCTV cameras with voice recording has been installed to keep a check on the behaviour of the toll collectors.
“All the booths have got the voice recorder cameras. There have been complaints by our users against the toll collectors. We do a lot of training, train our staff to be polite because it is a service industry,” said Macedo.
According to her, the company is also updating the technology for toll collection.
