This refers to the edit “Fixing Expressways” (September 6). The Delhi-Gurgaon expressway is a project owned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and was awarded to the concessionaire, Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited, through a concession agreement.
The edit states that the concessionaire “underestimated the flow of vehicles” and “did not create adequate capacity at the toll plazas”. We would like to state that the traffic projection study was commissioned by the NHAI through an independent consultant, RITES. This was done before the project was awarded to us and the toll plaza's design was based on these traffic projections. The toll plaza was designed in 2004 after taking all the required approvals from the NHAI and the independent consultant. In 2008-09, when we proposed the addition of 10 more toll lanes, the independent consultant certified that the toll plaza had been constructed according to the concession agreement and was capable of meeting future traffic requirements.
Regarding the ease and speed of toll collection, according to the concession agreement, we are supposed to maintain a processing rate of 120 vehicles per lane per hour in cash lanes and a rate of 300 vehicles per lane per hour in tag lanes. We are currently processing well above this stipulated norm and clear 450 vehicles per lane per hour in cash lanes and above 600 vehicles per lane per hour in tag lanes.
As far as the issue of encouraging motorists to switch to e-tags is concerned, we have actively promoted its adoption through various schemes. We have sold more than 115,000 e-tags till now. However, the entry of cash commuters in tag lanes is a big problem that slows the processing rate in tag lanes and causes congestion. We, as a concessionaire, do not have the right to challan errant vehicles and have repeatedly requested the traffic police to step in and penalise errant commuters.
Bashob Dey
Sr Vice President — Corporate Communication, DSC Limited
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