Why toll should not be stopped on NH-

8? asks HC
PJ Joychen,TNN | May 31, 2014, 01.23 AM IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/W
hy-toll-should-not-be-stopped-on-NH-8-asks-
HC/articleshow/35799202.cms
JAIPUR: Aggrieved by the pathetic condition of
roads, Lalit Kumar Sharma, a driver who regularly
travels to Delhi, moved a petition before the
Rajasthan High Court seeking to stop collection of
toll on Jaipur-Delhi highway. The toll tax is being
levied at two toll plazas one at Shahjahanpur and
the other at Manoharpura which is collected by
Pink City Expressway Private Limited.

Justice M N Bhandari, while exempting him from
giving toll, issued notices to the secretary, ministry
of road transport; chairman, NHAI, chief secretary,
Rajasthan, secretary, road transport and director,
Pink City Expressway Limietd and asked to file
reply in this matter within four weeks. The court
also said why collection of toll tax should not be
stopped.

Counsel for the petitioner, Prateek Kasliwal argued
that the petitioner is working as a driver. Therefore,
he regularly travels to Delhi on NH-8. Every time
the petitioner travels, he is required to pay at two
toll plazas which is being collected by Pink City
Expressway for many years.

The petitioner is paying the toll tax with the
expectation that he will get good and well
maintained road which can save fuel and reach
destination timely and safely. However, he was
never able to reach his destination on time. Also, he
travels under constant fear of accident due to traffic
jam and pathetic condition of road. What is the
justification of imposing toll tax on people when
the government can't provide smooth roads? He
asked.

Pink City Expressway was given the contract for the
Expressway in 2008 with an investment of Rs 1,650
crore and had to be completed by 2011. It was
pointed out that the company collects Rs 2.20 crore
as toll tax daily and till now it had collected about
Rs 2,593 crore without any benefit to the public

Jaipur-Delhi journey on NH-8
a nightmare for commuters
TNN | Jun 5, 2014, 05.53AM IST

JAIPUR/BEHROR: Commuters trudge on Jaipur-
Gurgaon stretch of national highway (NH) 8, since
boulders, stock-still cranes and construction
material lying in between roads is something that
never fades from their sight. Incomplete pillars,
potholes, traffic jams and dust clouds all expose the
sorry state of the road. The highway's condition is
such that it is now going beyond damage control.

A team of TOI visited the highway and spoke to
commuters, villagers, policemen and others to find
out what all they experience while plying on the
NH8 connecting two capitals, Jaipur and Delhi.

Crossing Achroal on NH8 is a nightmare even for
an experienced driver. A half constructed bridge
with shops encroaching upon the road and parked
vehicles ensure that the speedometer needle
swerves down to well below 10 kmph even for a
high end SUV. As one hopes to get a clear way
ahead, Chandwaji, which is just 15 kms from
Achroal turns out to be another disappointment.

"Every evening there are jams, which at time
stretch up to 3 kms from the toll plaza. Unless the
widening is completed and flyovers are connected,
we don't see any relief," said Hukumchand, a local
farmer from the area. Another 20 kms is a smooth
ride with six lane highway that seems to provide
some respite for commuters inching towards the
national capital.

But near Shahpura, endless trucks parked on the
highway soon snatch away the comfort as heavy
and light vehicles are forced on to just two lanes.
Further even the dual lane narrows down to a
single track as traffic crawls at the least speed.

As one enters Manoharpura a large chunk of the
road gets eaten away from an under-construction
flyover. Work has been in progress since the past
three years. Now no labourer is in sight but vehicles
are nudges to the service lane by its side. Not meant
for such heavy traffic, the service lane has long
worn out. But the burden of travelling on it is on
the commuter having paid a toll of Rs 34.

To ensure a smooth flow of traffic, a police chowki
has been set up by the Rajasthan government at
Goverdhanpura junction. Interestingly, half built
flyover is used for putting chowki in the middle of
the road.

"The road coming from Jaipur goes to a cement
factory. Daily 3,000 trucks move from here. It is
totally chaotic four hours in the evening and three
in the morning. How am I responsible for this as
people enter into scuffles and brawls with us," said
one of the traffic inspectors stationed at the chowki.

Kotputli again has major issues. The long queues of
trucks parked on the sideways leave hardly any
space for other vehicles to pass. Frequent travelers
claim this is one of the most congested spots.
Service lane having born the heavy traffic has long
given way to the dirt and dust. But repair is a far
cry though on Friday concrete was being filled on
certain parts of the road. Also, at many places, stray
animals and heaps of garbage was found.
Stop toll tax on Delhi-Jaipur highway, says Rajasthan Governor
Margaret Alva
Rohit Parihar Jaipur, June 24, 2014 | UPDATED 21:02 IST



Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva has asked the Centre again
to stop collecting toll tax on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway
till constructions on the road are completed.

The traffic on the highway remained disrupted for the tenth
consecutive day after cracks appeared in a flyover near
Kotputli. The irregularities reveal corruption and carelessness in
a poorly planned project, which has been delayed by more than
five years.

Traffic snarls, some over 10 km long, are reported daily, and the
diversions are faring worse.


Rajasthan governor Margaret AlvaAlva, in a way, through her
repeated request took a dig at the minister of state for surface
transport Krishan Pal who had visited the affected highway
three days ago, but refused to say anything on why people
should continue to pay toll tax for driving through these
disruptions. He seemed to be washing his hands off the toll-tax
issue despite Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's suggestion to
consider people's objections on it.
Krishan Pal took the stand that the previous government had
signed an agreement which could not be implemented since
contractors can move to the court.

The minister had scoffed at Alva's writing to the Centre on
National Highway asking why the governor remained silent
during the Congress regime.

Alva actually had taken up the issue during Congress rule too,
but rather late, a little before assembly elections.

She, on Tuesday, said the minister should review the project.

Meanwhile, commuters on the highway and the local media
have expressed shock over poor planning and corruption, even
referring to the toll tax as extortion. Their demand is that the
government should be paying for flawed planning and
corruption-filled execution, instead of collecting toll from them.

There is an increasing demand of an investigation into whether
there has been a scam in awarding the contract without taking
into account whether travelers were being provided quality
service in commensuration with what they are paying.

The highway, once a success story, which reduced travel time
between Delhi Jaipur from eight hours to four hours, has
deteriorated during the past five years.

First, there were no efforts made to regulate traffic on it as a
result of which, trucks moved at slow speed in all the three
lanes, adversely affecting the fast-moving traffic.

The highway rarely provided traffic patrol or emergency
services and its condition began to deteriorate even as toll tax
continued to be raised.

Had the National Highway Authority of India maintained it well
and regulated traffic, four lanes of the highway were enough.
But since new contracts were to be awarded, it was decided to
make the highway six lanes and the work began even before
the land was acquired.

Even where land had been acquired, the work progressed at a
very slow pace thus making travel a bad experience. During all
this, little effort was made to maintain the motor-able
condition of the existing highway.

Rajasthan High Court has a few times taken notice of this
situation. Even last month, it told toll collectors to stop charging
a petitioner. Travelers on this highway feel that toll tax is a sort
of extortion.

But no one is listening.



Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/margaret-
alva-rajasthan-governor-toll-tax-delhi-jaipur-national-
highway/1/368367.html