Lucknow, 01 May

(HS): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday took a major decision in public

interest and announced to keep the Ganga Expressway toll-free for 15 days from

the Commercial Operation Date (COD). Under this decision, the people of the

state will be able to experience UP's longest and most modern expressway

without any fee. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Uttar Pradesh

Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) took immediate action and

issued instructions to the project's concessionaires IRB Infrastructure and

Adani Infrastructure to suspend toll collection for 15 days. According to the

order issued by UPEIDA, no fee will be charged from the passengers during this

period.

This decision was made after the Independent

Engineer issued a Provisional Certificate under Article 14.3.1 of the

Concession Agreement, setting the expressway's commercial operation date. With

this, the expressway was deemed fully ready for public use. The Yogi government

aims to ensure that as many people as possible experience this state-of-the-art

expressway in its initial phase. The opportunity to travel on this

594-kilometer-long expressway without tolls will provide people with a

firsthand experience of its quality, speed, and public amenities. This

initiative will not only boost tourism but also strengthen public confidence in

the expressway.

The Ganga Expressway was developed under a

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on the DBFOT (toll) model. Under this

agreement, concessionaires have been granted toll collection rights for 27

years. However, any revenue loss resulting from this 15-day toll exemption will

be compensated by the state government or UPDA, as per the provisions of the

concession agreement.

UPDA has clarified that all standards related to

operation and maintenance will be strictly adhered to even during the toll-free

period. Under Article 17 and other provisions of the concession agreement, no

compromise will be allowed in road quality, safety, traffic management, and

amenities.

Stretching from

Meerut to Prayagraj, this expressway connects 12 districts of the state and is

considered a game changer for Uttar Pradesh's economy. This 15-day toll

exemption will not only provide relief to the public but will also create a

positive environment for this mega project. This decision is being seen as a

reflection of the state government's Public Interest First policy,

which prioritizes infrastructure development in the state as well as making

citizens feel good.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi