Toll plazas reopen; operators not ready

Vijay C Roy

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

While the NHAI will resume toll collection on national highways from Monday (April 20), as per a government communication, toll operators have opposed the move, citing uncertain financial conditions and threat to life of toll plaza staff.

Employees may face hostility

Our staff may face hostility from law enforcement agencies while resuming operations. We need specific orders from the MHA to start operations. — Contractors Federation

The All-India User Fee Contractors’ Federation (AIUCF), which represents 200 of the 570 public-funded toll plazas under the National Highways Authority

of India (NHAI), has sought

a week’s time to resume operations. This will help mobilise resources and

prepare for the safety of employees across the country, it says.

According to the AIUCF, resuming operations will involve deploying around 50,000 employees at over 500 toll plazas across the country.

In a letter to the NHAI Chairman, the federation says the current restrictions may only allow toll plazas to collect 25 per cent of the normal revenue. Further, any effort to delay a decision on the obligations of the contractors and relief for them will make it difficult to resume toll collection.

The government had on March 25 temporarily suspended toll collection on national highways to ease emergency services in view of Covid-19 outbreak.

In the letter, the federation says the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed certain activities through its various circulars, but these are subject to the directions of state authorities, etc. Further, business activity in terms of user fee collection at toll plazas is not specifically allowed by the MHA.

It further demanded additional insurance and hospitalisation plan for six months for the staff in line with that of “Covid warriors”, and also requested a time frame for settlement of contractors’ claims.