HC seeks NHAI's reply on plea for basic amenities on Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response of the NHAI and HSIIDC on a plea to ensure basic amenities, including toilets, petrol pumps, ambulance and emergency facilities, on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani issued notices to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 26.

The court was hearing the petition filed by advocate and social activist Amit Sahni that said no such facilities are available on Western Peripheral Expressway or Kundli-Manesar-Pawal (KMP) Expressway, which was made operational about two years ago, though thousands of vehicles cross it daily and pay the toll.

The plea, however, said some of the facilities are available at Eastern Peripheral Expressway or Kundli-GhaziabadPalwal (KGP) Expressway, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in November last year.

It sought a direction to authorities to ensure basic amenities like petrol pumps, toilet complex, ambulance and emergency facilities, eateries and police patrolling on both KMP and KGP expressways.

"Directions may kindly be passed that the wayside amenities be integrally planned and developed along with national highways and such amenities be made operational by the respondent (NHAI) for all its future projects before the commencement of toll collection on all such highways, in order to ensure safety and security of the commuters...," it said.

The plea mentioned that other national highways which are connected to Delhi have basic facilities like helplines for crane, ambulance, route patrol, emergency services, nearest police station and hospital.

The petitioner said he made a representation to the NHAI on April 1 but till date no action has been taken after which he approached the high court.

The KMP expressway is an operational 6-lane (3 lane in each direction), 135.6-km-long expressway in Haryana.

Both the expressways were constructed with an expectation to divert more than 50,000 heavy vehicles from Delhi to help maintain good air quality in Delhi. The two expressways complete the largest ring road around Delhi.

Each of the 10 entries and exits are tolled and the rates notified in December 2018 in Rs 1.35 per km for cars, Rs 2.18 per km for light motor vehicles, Rs 4.98 per km for trucks and buses. Two wheelers are not permitted on the expressways, the plea said.