DND flyway toll ends: Supreme Court ruling brings relief to commuters

A Supreme Court bench stated that the Noida Authority 'overstepped its authority' by delegating the power to NTBCL to collect or levy fees on DND flyway, which resulted in an undue burden on commuters

In a major win for commuters, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld a decision to stop the collection of toll charges on the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway, criticising the Noida Authority for allowing a toll company to exploit users indefinitely, reported LiveLaw.

 

A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan confirmed a 2016 ruling by the Allahabad High Court, which ordered the Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL) to stop toll collection from vehicles using the DND flyway, a vital route connecting Delhi and Noida.

 

The court noted that NTBCL had already recovered both the construction cost and a fair profit since the flyway opened in 2001.

 

In its ruling, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Noida Authority, indicating that the agreement with NTBCL lacked a clear timeline for toll collection, allowing the company to charge commuters indefinitely. Justice Kant, reading out the judgment, said, “Noida overstepped its authority by delegating powers to NTBCL to collect or levy fees, and the arrangement was alien to the terms of the concessionaire agreement... it has resulted in undue burden on users.”

 

The SC bench pointed out that the public had already paid hundreds of crores, and there was no reason for toll collection to continue.

 

The court also supported a 2012 public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Federation of Noida Residents’ Welfare Associations, which challenged NTBCL’s toll collection practices. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s ruling, stating that the PIL was legally sound.

 

Citing a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the bench reinforced its stance, noting that NTBCL had made sufficient profit through toll collection, making further charges unjustified. As a result, the Supreme Court dismissed NTBCL’s appeal.

 

The DND flyway, which has been operational since 2001, has drastically reduced travel time between Delhi and Noida, easing regional traffic congestion. Before the court’s decision, commuters were charged Rs 28 for a one-way trip or Rs 56 for a round trip on the expressway.