HC seeks NHAI reply on basic amenities on expressways

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to file a response to a plea seeking to ensure basic amenities like petrol pumps, toilet complex, ambulance and other emergency facilities on expressways.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani also asked Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (HSIIDC) to file a response to the plea and listed the matter for August 26.

The court was hearing a plea seeking direction to NHAI to ensure basic amenities like petrol pumps, toilet complex, ambulance and emergency facilities, eateries, police patrolling on Kundli-Manesar-Pawal (KMP), Kundli-Ghaziabad-Pawal expressway, eastern and western peripheral expressways.

The public interest litigation was filed by social activist and advocate Amit Sahni who also requested that the wayside amenities be integrally planned and developed along with national highways and should be made operational by the NHAI for all future projects before the commencement of toll collection on such highways.

Western Peripheral Expressway along with Eastern Peripheral Expressway complete the largest ring road around Delhi.

"Thousands of vehicles cross Western Peripheral Expressway daily but despite paying the toll, none of the basic facilities is available," the plea said.

--IANS

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