Supreme Court floats shutdown of Delhi toll booths to ease traffic, pollution

The Supreme Court on December 17 suggested a temporary shutdown of toll collection at Delhi’s border plazas, flagging them as major contributors to traffic congestion and air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Hearing a petition on measures to curb Delhi’s worsening air quality, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the feasibility of shifting the nine toll collection booths currently operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to alternative locations that can be managed by the NHAI.

The direction came after a lawyer informed the court that toll plazas at Delhi’s entry points routinely trigger long traffic snarls, leading to increased vehicular emissions. The Bench described the experience at these plazas as a “nightmare” for commuters.

Questioning the need for physical toll collection, the CJI asked whether toll operations could be suspended during the peak pollution months, noting that technology for seamless, non-stop tolling is widely available globally.

“Why do you need physical collection of tolls? You know the situation will be the same next year. What will you do to prevent traffic jams at toll plazas? Why can’t toll collection be stopped for these two months?” the Chief Justice asked.

Counsel for the MCD submitted that toll revenue was essential for road maintenance and for paying municipal employees’ salaries. The court, however, suggested a workaround, proposing that tolls be collected at alternative NHAI-managed sites, with a portion of the revenue diverted to the MCD to offset any temporary losses.

Directing immediate action, the Bench said the NHAI must examine the shifting of the nine toll booths, while asking the MCD to cooperate and consider suspending operations at these plazas for a limited period. A final decision, the court said, must be taken within a week and placed on record.

Observing that air pollution has become an “annual feature” in Delhi, the CJI also urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to come up with a long-term, sustainable strategy to address the crisis.

The court further asked the CAQM to examine whether schools should be closed or shifted to a hybrid mode, following concerns raised by parents’ counsels. It also directed authorities to step up public awareness campaigns and involve Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and paralegal volunteers as citizen representatives in pollution-control efforts.