Contract of Meerut toll plaza terminated days after staff's attack on soldier

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has terminated the contract and debarred the toll collection agency from participation in bids for one year, days after a video showing toll booth employees of Meerut's Bhuni toll plaza assaulting a soldier went viral.

On Sunday (August 17), the toll staff were seen pinning the soldier to a lamp post and beating him with sticks, and at one point, even attacking him with a brick at Bhuni Toll Plaza on the Meerut-Karnal section of National Highway-709A.

Kapil, a soldier stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, was returning to duty from his village and travelling to Delhi with a friend. As they approached the toll plaza on the Karnal Highway, a dispute over the traffic jam and toll fee reportedly escalated into a physical assault.

Immediately after the incident came to light, the highway body swung into action and slapped a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the toll plaza operator and initiated the process to terminate the contract of the company managing the plaza.

Directions were also issued that it should not be awarded any toll-related work in the future.

Additionally, performance security of the agency amounting to Rs 3.66 crores will be encashed towards repair or replacement costs of the damaged equipment and infrastructure at the Bhuni Toll Plaza.

Following a show-cause notice issued by the NHAI, the reply from the agency, Dharam Singh, was found to be unsatisfactory.

NHAI said the agency violated contract terms by allowing physical altercations, damage to public property, and disruption of toll operations.

To prevent such incidents, the NHAI has directed all toll collection agencies to strictly monitor their staff and take immediate action against employees misbehaving with road users or public representatives.

The authority also stressed the importance of courteous behaviour by toll staff towards highway users.

As part of these measures, the NHAI has asked agencies to conduct regular training for their employees.

Recently, it also organised a special program on "Enhancing Customer Interaction and Communication Skills at Toll Plazas" to promote professional and respectful conduct.

Incidentally, a video showing toll employees saluting Army personnel and their vehicles went viral in a shift in behaviour following Sunday's assault of a soldier. The toll staff offered water bottles to the personnel passing through the booth as well.

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