It’s the farmers’ way or Expressway
17 Aug 2012 8:50 AM IST
The first day of commercial operations of the Yamuna Expressway was marked by a protest by farmers at Zero Mile Point and Jewar Toll plaza in Greater Noida on Thursday morning. They stopped the flow of traffic for an hour at the Zero Mile Point. Jaypee Group, the company that had the responsibility of developing the Expressway started charging toll tax at the highway from Thursday at the toll tax plazas on the 165 km stretch of road.
The Expressway had been formally inaugurate on 9 August, but Jaypee Group had exempted toll collection as a gift to the travellers till 15 August.
The farmers under the banner of Bhartiya Kishan Union, protested at three points - at Zero Mile, Jewar toll plaza and the office of the Yamuna Express-way Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The farmers demanded the opening of five entry-exit points between Greater Noida and Jewar to provide entry and exit of the vehicles to nearby villages.
‘We have to travel an additional distance of 14 km from my village to enter the Expressway at Jewar Toll Plaza point and then take a U-turn to reach Greater Noida.
Farmers going to Noida have travel an additional 28 kilometers on the express-way,’ said Mahendra Singh Chaurali, state president of the Union.
Additionally the farmers also want the construction of service road, and exemption of their vehicles from toll tax.
‘Around 120 farmers protested at the Jewar Toll Plaza for around one hour but were convinced after receiving assurance from Jaypee Group officials that their demands will be considered,’ said Dharmendra Chauhan, station officer of Jewar police station. At Zero Mile point of the Expressway around 50 farmers blocked the road who were later detained by the Greater Noida police. Another group of over 200 farmers also protested at the head office of YEIDA. ‘The company has agreed to open an entry-exit point at Jewar Village and sought two days time to complete its construction. YEIDA has invited the leader of the farmers’ union for a talk at YEIDA head office in Greater Noida on Friday,’ said a senior official of the YEIDA.
Meanwhile, Jaypee Group officials said that they will reveal only monthly data of their collection of the Expressway. ‘We have decided to release only monthly data of the collection from the toll tax on the Yamuna Expressway as daily data could be misleading. The first record of the collection from toll tax will be released in the first week of September,’ said Askari A Jaidi, senior vice president (Corporate Communication) of Jaypee Group.
TOLL TALES
The Expressway had been formally inaugurate on 9 August, but Jaypee Group had exempted toll collection as a gift to the travellers till 15 August.
The farmers under the banner of Bhartiya Kishan Union, protested at three points - at Zero Mile, Jewar toll plaza and the office of the Yamuna Express-way Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The farmers demanded the opening of five entry-exit points between Greater Noida and Jewar to provide entry and exit of the vehicles to nearby villages.
‘We have to travel an additional distance of 14 km from my village to enter the Expressway at Jewar Toll Plaza point and then take a U-turn to reach Greater Noida.
Farmers going to Noida have travel an additional 28 kilometers on the express-way,’ said Mahendra Singh Chaurali, state president of the Union.
Additionally the farmers also want the construction of service road, and exemption of their vehicles from toll tax.
‘Around 120 farmers protested at the Jewar Toll Plaza for around one hour but were convinced after receiving assurance from Jaypee Group officials that their demands will be considered,’ said Dharmendra Chauhan, station officer of Jewar police station. At Zero Mile point of the Expressway around 50 farmers blocked the road who were later detained by the Greater Noida police. Another group of over 200 farmers also protested at the head office of YEIDA. ‘The company has agreed to open an entry-exit point at Jewar Village and sought two days time to complete its construction. YEIDA has invited the leader of the farmers’ union for a talk at YEIDA head office in Greater Noida on Friday,’ said a senior official of the YEIDA.
Meanwhile, Jaypee Group officials said that they will reveal only monthly data of their collection of the Expressway. ‘We have decided to release only monthly data of the collection from the toll tax on the Yamuna Expressway as daily data could be misleading. The first record of the collection from toll tax will be released in the first week of September,’ said Askari A Jaidi, senior vice president (Corporate Communication) of Jaypee Group.
TOLL TALES
- A car on the Yamuna Expressway will be charged Rs 320 for a one way trip, and Rs 510 for a round trip, if it returns the same day. However, if the car returns after 24 hours, it will have to pay Rs 640 for the round trip.
- A car making 20 or more trips in a month will be charged Rs 255.
- Two-wheelers will have to pay Rs 150 for a trip to Agra and Rs 240 for a round-trip within 24 hours.
- Buses and trucks will have to pay Rs 1050 for one way journey from Greater Noida to Agra.
- Farmers in the area want their vehicles to be exempted from toll tax.
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