Closing down alternate roads adds to expressway traffic mess

18 October, 2012

It seems the only thing Haryana administration cares about is the revenue earned through toll plazas. Closing down the alternate routes which could have eased the traffic on the expressway had they been open, at least suggests so.

AS IF Sirhaul Toll Plaza hadn't created enough mess, now toll plaza at Khekri Dhaula is giving nightmares to commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. The traffic movement becomes chaotic as soon as large number of vehicles going towards Manesar and Jaipur mix with heavy commercial vehicles after restriction hours.

Coupled with the closure of all the alternate routes like Phase 3, Vasant Kunj and the Dwarka Expressway, the traffic moves at its worst during peak hours on the expressway. The opening up of these alternate routes would have eased the movement on the expressway as people could have reached their destinations without taking the toll route.

RS Rathee, Toll Hatao Samiti President, who along with his colleagues has been campaigning for the removal of toll plazas minces no words while saying that alternate routes have been closed so that the concessioner earns maximum revenue. “Government and administration want to provide more benefits to the concessioner DGSCL and have thus closed down the other alternate roads towards Manesar and Jaipur side areas. This is the reason why all are using expressway and are bound to pay for using this road," said Mr Rathee.

He alleged that government is not serious to ease the traffic situation on the expressway and this has forced them (Samiti) to take the help of courts. "Government and these private concessioners want to benefit one another; they are not bothered about people and their benefits. Their focus is just to earn more and more revenue and nothing else," alleged Mr Rathee.