Why toll should not be stopped on NH-8? asks HCPJ Joychen,TNN|May 31, 2014, 01.23 AM ISThttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Why-toll-should-not-be-stopped-on-NH-8-asks-HC/articleshow/35799202.cmsJAIPUR: 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 commutersTNN|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 AlvaRohit 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