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Ghaziabad administration seeks closure or shifting of Dasna toll plaza

Hindustan Times, Ghaziabad | By
Sep 26, 2018 05:20 AM IST

The Ghaziabad district magistrate has written to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to either shift the existing toll plaza in Dasna or close it immediately

The Ghaziabad district magistrate has written to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to either shift the existing toll plaza in Dasna or close it immediately.

Officials said the communication was sent in the wake of mismanagement and altercations reported in various complaints by commuters and residents.

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District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari said she has sent a communication to chairman, NHAI, and has requested the closure or shifting of the toll plaza.

“There have been a number of complaints about the mismanagement of the toll plaza and there have been instances of altercation with daily commuters. An inquiry was also got conducted by a subdivisional magistrate and we found that the tool plaza was mismanaged. We will also speak to the chairman, NHAI, and raise our concerns,” she said.

Barely 300 to 400 metres away, the NHAI has also constructed another toll plaza, at the Dasna interchange of the newly opened Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE). There have been complaints from commuters that they have to pay two tolls for a very short distance if they wish to use the EPE.

“Further, there have also been protests by farmers who have demanded the scrapping of the toll plaza,” Maheshwari said.

According to NHAI officials, tolls should be located a minimum of 60km from each other.

Earlier in September, the members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union had also raised the issue of two tolls in close proximity and have threatened a stir if the Dasna toll plaza is not shifted elsewhere.

On September 10, the toll staff and a group of commuters were got into a fight over the non-payment of toll. The police later suo motu lodged an FIR under stringent IPC sections and booked over a dozen persons, including the staff of the Dasna toll plaza.

The police also arrested the commuters who were involved in the fight.

According to the estimates of NHAI, the Dasna toll plaza caters to nearly 70,000 vehicles per day.

“The headquarters will take a call on the closure or shifting of the Dasna toll plaza. Otherwise, we will be shifting the toll by December as an underpass is proposed at the site under the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) project. The toll is proposed to be shifted to Pilkhuwa under the DME’s phase 3 project,” RP Singh, project director, NHAI, said.

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