The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld a decision by the Allahabad High Court that ordered the Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL) to stop collecting tolls on the DND Flyway, the 9.2 km route that links Delhi with Noida. The verdict, led by Justice Surya Kant, rejected an appeal from NTBCL challenging the cessation of tolls, referred to as “user fees,” on the eight-lane flyway.
This judicial decision roots back to a 2016 audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which investigated whether NTBCL had recouped its initial investment along with a reasonable profit from managing the flyway. Concerns about excessive tolling were significant in the Allahabad High Court’s initial ruling to make the DND Flyway toll-free, prompting a directive for a thorough cost audit of the flyway project.
Since its inauguration in 2001, the toll collection by NTBCL had been a persistent point of public dissatisfaction, with complaints about the flyway’s maintenance issues such as potholes and inadequate street lighting, despite ongoing toll charges. These concerns were highlighted in a petition by the Federation of Noida Resident Welfare Associations (FONRWA) in 2016, which argued that the tolls were exorbitant.
Despite stopping toll collection, NTBCL has continued to maintain the flyway, pointing to its responsibilities under the original concession agreement. The company has stated financial strains since the halt of toll collection, claiming that it has yet to recover its full investment.
