BJP workers stage protest, demand DND flyway be made toll-free

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) workers protested at the link road on Wednesday demanding that the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) flyway be made toll-free. The BJP workers staged a protest at the DND flyway blocking traffic for almost an hour which resulted in jams on the flyway and the surrounding connecting roads. 

The 500-members string protest was led by the BJP leaders Nawab Singh Nagar and Vimla Batham. The protesters reached the flyway at around 11 am demanding that the toll be scrapped as its entire tenure was finished.  The workers also stated that the DND toll is still continuing despite Gurgaon expressway toll being discontinued. 

Providing an explanation, a DND official said that they had been "incurring heavy losses and have not been able to recover the cost yet. Therefore, they have continued to levy the tax with due permission from the authorities. Considering the chaos, the DND was made toll free till 5pm on Wednesday. BJP MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar Mahesh Sharma had last year raised the issue of making the DND flyover toll free in Lok Sabha.

According to figures, Rs 428 crores were spent in the construction of the DND flyover, out of which Rs 20 crores were contributed by the Noida authority. As per the DND records, an estimated Rs 698 crores have been recovered so far. According to The Federation of Noida Residents' Welfare Associations (FONRWA), toll tax collection to the tune of Rs 1400 crores has been made so far. 

Also Read: Cong workers make DND toll free for an hour