New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (December 17) issued directions to authorities regarding the levying of tolls for the next few months, observing
that traffic congestion at toll plazas in busy areas was contributing to worsening air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. During the hearing on air pollution, a lawyer highlighted the issue of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) toll plaza at Gurugram, stating that it often leads to hours-long traffic jams and long queues of vehicles, thereby adding to pollution levels. Questioning the authorities, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) remarked, “Why can’t the officials say that till January, there will be no toll plaza?” The CJI further cautioned against revenue-driven decisions, stating that toll plazas should not be placed in congested areas merely for income generation. “We do not want the income you generate. You definitely generate a lot of revenue from these tolls. We want to come out with a concrete plan for absolute no toll plaza till January 31 next year,” the court observed.
Shift Toll Plazas
Following the hearing, the Supreme Court issued notices to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the MCD, seeking their response on whether toll plazas on national highways can be shifted, and whether MCD toll plazas manned by NHAI can also be relocated to non-congested areas.
The top court described the pollution crisis as an "annual feature" and called for pragmatic and practical solutions to tackle the menace.
