NHAI revokes policy; introduces live monitoring at 100 plazas

30 Aug 2024 CW Team

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has revoked a key policy that required toll plaza operators to lift barriers and allow vehicles to pass without paying if the queue extended beyond 100 meters. This provision, introduced in May 2021, was rarely enforced, leading to widespread complaints about non-compliance.

In the latest policy update, NHAI clarified that the "service time at toll plazas" provision is now deleted, as the National Highways Fee Rules 2008 do not include any such exemption based on vehicle queue lengths.

The 2021 guideline mandated that toll booths and lanes be sufficient to ensure that toll collection did not exceed 10 seconds during peak hours. If the queue in any lane exceeded 100 meters, the barrier was to be lifted, allowing vehicles to pass toll-free until the queue was reduced. A yellow line marked at 100 meters was to be displayed in each lane as a reference point. However, this rule faced criticism and questions in Parliament, leading to its removal.

In response to ongoing concerns, NHAI has now implemented a live monitoring system at 100 toll plazas where waiting times exceed five minutes. This system aims to reduce queues by enabling immediate action. The selected plazas were chosen based on the number of commuter complaints, and NHAI plans to expand live surveillance to more locations in the future. (TOI)

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