EXPRESSWAY HIGHLIGHTS
It has 21 entry and 23 exit points, 9 flyovers for red-light free movement, 24-hour power back-up, SOS phones every 2 kilometres, and the highest density of signages compared to any national highway in India. It has dramatically improved the journey time to and from Gurgaon, and the domestic and international airports. The road has 5 lakh vehicles on it, which translates to a million people using the expressway on an average day — and only a fraction is affected during the rush hour.

TOLL PLAZA
The success of a toll plaza depends on traffic flow. Whenever tolling begins on any road there is a phenomenon called ‘toll off’ — in this, 25 to 35 per cent daily traffic moves off to alternative roads for a couple of months as they do not want to pay toll. This traffic usually returns in the next 3 to 6 months. But ‘toll-off’ did not happen in this case, so there were 5,600 vehicles per hour at the toll plaza instead of the planned 4,500 vehicles in the rush hours.

This also had an impact on the waiting period.

WAITING PERIOD
The waiting time has been reduced to 8-10 minutes, and measures adopted by us will bring it down to a further 5-7 minutes in cash lanes.

Anubhuti Vishnoi: This project has been in news for all the wrong reasons. Deadlines have been extended several times and you don’t seem to be able to adhere to them.
We don’t think it could have been implemented in any other way. There was massive change of scope and various factors involved. But there was never a let up on our part. We worked in full cooperation with NHAI. Also, the project was being implemented while traffic was running on NH 8; that is a critical factor.

Anubhuti Vishnoi: The general perception is that the tolling system has been installed hurriedly. Why didn’t you start marketing measures in advance?
The toll system was not installed hurriedly. We carried out surveys beforehand and they showed 35 per cent of existing users would not use the facility if toll was charged. However, we kept a decent margin even above that. Yet, on the opening day, the number of users was far higher — therefore the initial problem.

Anuradha Nagaraj: What is the technology you are using for tolling? Does it meet ISO standards?
We are using fourth-generation technology, which is much more advanced than any being used on other expressways in the country.

Sobhana K: I have been taken on a tour of the expressway, and the day I went there were booms falling on people.
Narula: The boom falls only when a vehicle is trying to go through the plaza without paying toll. Our booms are already pockmarked with many vehicles hitting them. We have detectors placed on the road; they ensure that once a vehicle has passed the barrier after paying toll, it automatically closes the boom.

So if there is a vehicle tailing the one in front and trying to get past without paying toll, the boom will close on it.

Esha Roy: How many vehicles go through the toll plaza daily? How much toll have you collected till date?
1,20,000 vehicles pass the toll plaza daily. As far as toll collection is concerned, in keeping with company policy this is not something we can reveal.

Kandula Subramaniam: You mentioned 5 lakh cars on the expressway every day. Is that the actual figure of number of vehicles using it right now?
The expressway is used by over 5 lakh vehicles and over 10 million commuters, of which only 1.20 lakh vehicles cross the toll plaza.

Kandula Subramaniam: Why is the toll for cars Rs 16. Why couldn’t you suggest to the government to round off the figure?
The Union Government decides the rate through a toll notification sent by the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. It is based on a formula that takes into account the Wholesale Price Index. The concessionaire has a minimum role to play in this. The toll rate calculated as per the formula is then rounded off to the nearest rupee.

Toll fee is due for revision on April 1 every year — fixing or changing the rate is governed by the Centre’s policy, which is also why we recommend that people who want to avoid waiting at the cash lanes should switch to smart tags.

Aanchal Bansal: There are reports on how the authorities got the math wrong and couldn’t anticipate the number of vehicles that would hit the toll plaza. Did you do a survey? Were you prepared for the madness on opening day?
Irrespective of the reports, we were working on the highway and could see that the number was expanding every day, so we did our studies and knew the number of vehicles likely to cross the plaza. But we were caught on the backfoot in one area: toll-off did not happen, though the study suggested around 35 per cent existing users would stop using the road once tolling began.

Therefore, instead of having fewer vehicles, we actually had more than our internationally benchmarked consumer behaviour models suggested. Toll-off is normal consumer behaviour in all parts of the world, where some consumers shift to alternatives discouraged by the need to pay. (But) it didn’t happen here.

Esha Roy: How will interchangeable lanes function; when is it likely to begin?
During peak hours, there are lanes that can be used from either end. They have signages on both sides. We are working out the details and would like to start it at the earliest.

Sobhana K: NHAI has taken out tenders thrice for construction of foot-overbridges. Why did you wait all this while before bidding for those projects?
We decided to put in our bid when we saw that no one was coming forward. We would be more than happy if any one else comes forward to construct them.

Anubhuti Vishnoi: Originally, the JPDS partnership was to carry out the project after which this partnership broke. The NHAI apparently had a problem with this as well, and word is that they were actually more comfortable with the JP bid.
Some relationships work and some don’t; priorities change. That is why Jaypee is no longer with us. However, we have always had a good relationship with NHAI and all our partners.

Sobhana K: According to the concessionaire agreement, NHAI was supposed to get 50 per cent of the toll. But they claim that you have not been revealing toll collection figures.
It is not true. There is no reason to hide the figures. NHAI can get the figures . The toll figures are stored at both the toll computer and the main server. There’s no question of hiding numbers. We have a good working relationship with NHAI and everyone is invited to come and check whenever they want.