NHAI issues SOPs to protect commuters, toll operators; reduce altercations

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday said it has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to safeguard commuters and toll operators, reduce incidents of altercations and strengthen security at toll plazas.

According to an official statement, the detailed SOPs include guidelines for NHAI field offices to ensure strict implementation and adherence by toll-collecting agencies to manage staff and road users.

According to the SOPs, NHAI field offices will ensure that the toll collecting agency performs their duties following guidelines.

The toll collecting agency will ensure that staff at toll plazas wear the prescribed NHAI uniform with a name badge, the statement said, adding that any anticipated incident of violence should only be handled by toll plaza manager/lane supervisors, who will wear body cameras to record such instances.

In case of unruly behaviour by a commuter, the lane supervisor shall intervene and try to resolve the issue amicably, the statement said.

"Under no circumstances, toll plaza staff shall use provocative language or resort to violence. Toll Plaza officials may take help from local police and lodge an FIR in case the issue persists or escalates," it said.

According to the statement, the staff can record videos of such incidents to police.

The statement said any incidence involving an act of violence by a road user or damage to public property at the toll plaza should immediately be reported by the toll collecting agency to police and the NHAI Project Implementation Unit with all necessary documents/proof.

NHAI field offices shall ensure that the toll collecting agency has completed police verification of each and every staff deployed at the toll plaza, the statement said.

In addition, toll collecting agencies have been asked to direct toll plaza staff to be courteous with road users.

Toll collection agencies have also been asked to give monthly statement of incidents/FIRs to the NHAI Project Implementation Unit concerned, so that in case of inaction by authorities, NHAI field officials can report the same to the District Collector and request action.