Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) flyway to be toll free, says Allahabad High Court

NEW DELHI: In a huge relief to commuters, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday declared the Noida DND flyway as toll free. The DND Flyway connects Delhi on the west bank of the Yamuna with Noida and east Delhi.The court pronounced its order on a public interest litigation (PIL) that was filed by the Federation of Noida Resident Welfare Association (FONRWA).

• The High Court said that the collections from the toll have already exceeded more than five times. The operator has earned Rs. 2200 crore, whereas the construction cost was just Rs. 407 crore.

• It has witnessed several protests and demonstrations, demanding the removal of the Rs.28 toll, following allegations that the operator of the 9.2-km-long stretch (including the Mayur Vihar link) has already made significant profits.

• Earlier, the company had said that the DND will be handed over to the government after 2031.

• What the company said: I think the allegations (of exceeding profits) are not based on facts. The contract was signed between the Noida authority and us. The allegations are coming from the people who are not aware of all the facts. This is a privately-funded contract that means there is nothing wrong in earning a return,” Monisha Macedo, president of Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL), the concessionaire, had said yesterday.

• If the cost of construction is a figure, we could have crossed it but that’s not the point. The cost of construction includes the return, which has not been recovered: Monisha Macedo