Fatehabad: Thousands of vehicles crossed the Fatehabad toll plaza on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway without paying toll charges on Sunday after employees went on strike over the denial of a Diwali bonus, leading to heavy losses estimated in several lakhs of rupees.
Visuals from the site showed cars, buses, and trucks passing freely through the toll gates after workers opened the barriers and sat on a protest. The incident disrupted normal operations for several hours and created chaos along one of Uttar Pradesh’s busiest expressways.
“I have been working with the company for the past one year but they have not given us any bonus. We work hard every day, yet our salaries are delayed and now they say they will replace us instead of paying the bonus,” said one protesting employee.
The toll plaza is managed by Shrisai and Datar Company. Employees alleged that the management had earlier assured them that their Diwali bonuses would be credited last week, but no payment was made. which led to the protest.