The National Highway Authority (NHAI) has debarred the toll operating agency, Riddhi Siddhi Associates, for three months for an incident of assault and misbehaviour of its employees at the Sirmandi Toll Plaza on the Amritsar-Jamnagar section of the National Highway, a PIB press release stated.
The incident took place on 5 May 2024, and the toll operating agency was issued a show-cause notice the same day. However, the agency did not submit a satisfactory reply, and NHAI said that it found the agency guilty of “violating contractual provisions and NHAI Standing Operating Procedure, the agency was indulged in violence and misbehaving activities with the highway users.”
The toll operating agreement between NHAI and its toll operators states that the personnel deployed by the contractor “shall not misconduct/ misbehave with the members of the Public and shall observe strict discipline and decency in their behavior.”
Last year, NHAI also issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to reduce altercation incidents at toll plazas and safeguard the interests of both commuters and toll operators. The SOP was aimed at ensuring safe and smooth travel on national highways.