HC team inspects expressway

Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court led a team of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials to inspect the Sirhaul toll plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Sunday.

The exercise was in accordance with the Punjab and Haryana High Court's directive to take stock of the measures taken by concessionaire Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) to decongest the snarl-hit expressway.

DGSCL officials briefed Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal and his team about the measures. "He will submit his report to the High Court, which will then take a decision on toll collection from private vehicles in the next hearing on Tuesday," an official said.

The High Court on September 4 banned DGSCL from collecting toll for 15 days for its failure to take effective measures to prevent the traffic chaos on the expressway. Last week, the court allowed collection of toll from commercial vehicles in a few designated lanes, but didn't allow DGSCL to levy toll on private vehicles.

A DGSCL spokesperson said collection of toll from commercial vehicles on behalf of South Delhi Municipal Corporation is being carried out in lanes one to four of the toll plaza from Thursday evening.

"We have informed the High Court representatives about the initiatives being considered for the KM 24 toll plaza. This includes splitting of toll. We await the High Court's decision in the hearing on Tuesday," he said.

Though the eight-lane toll configuration would be opened for cars from DLF Phase-III and Udyog Vihar, these vehicles would have to take a service lane till Rajkori flyover to move into the expressway, sources said.

"If someone is coming from Sirhaul toll plaza, he cannot take the service lane before Rajkori flyover," a source said.

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