Fri Dec 20 06:12:22 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court Declares Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway Toll-Free
**New Delhi:** In a major victory for commuters, the Supreme Court has declared the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway toll-free, effectively ending years of toll collection. The court dismissed a petition by the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL), upholding a 2016 Allahabad High Court ruling.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, ruled that NTBCL had already recouped its construction costs, interest, and returns on the 8-lane flyway. The justices deemed the toll collection agreement invalid, stating there was “no reason for the collection of the user or toll fee to continue.”
The court also criticized the Noida Authority for delegating toll collection to NTBCL, calling it unjust and unfair and leading to “unjust enrichment” for the company. The Allahabad High Court’s 2016 decision, which stemmed from a public interest litigation filed by the Federation of Noida Residents’ Welfare Association, had already determined that sufficient tolls had been collected since the flyway’s opening in 2001.
The 9.2-km DND flyway, which connects Noida to south Delhi, sees approximately 100,000 vehicles daily. The Supreme Court’s decision brings relief to lakhs of commuters who have been paying tolls for over two decades.
First Piper 