Now, the NHAI has started a live feed system to monitor the traffic.
New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has retracted a significant policy decision. Previously, toll plazas were mandated to raise the boom barriers and permit vehicles to pass without paying the user fee if the queue exceeded 100 metres. Although this policy was announced in May 2021, it was rarely enforced, leading to numerous complaints about non-compliance.
Hence, the NHAI, in a recent policy guideline for management of toll plazas 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 2021 provision stated that the quantity of toll booths and lanes should be sufficient to guarantee that the toll or user fee collection process does not exceed 10 seconds during peak hours.
“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.”
The proposal suggested marking a yellow line 100 metres from the toll booth in each lane, with clear and prominent display of this provision.
The NHAI was subjected to significant criticism, and numerous questions were raised in Parliament concerning this rule. “Enforcing this rule was impractical, so it has been removed,” a source explained.
Now, 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 have 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.