Know why you don't need to pay toll anymore
An information crucial to our daily lives was revealed by Advocate Hariom Jindal who filed an RTI application seeking nitty-gritty on tolls. The RTI revealed that people travelling on roads where tolls are collected could pass free of cost if they wait in queues for more than three minutes. Reportedly, the total waiting time for any vehicle at toll plaza cannot exceed three minutes.
Here's what advocate Jindal had to say
Advocate Jindal said that it is through observation that he got to thinking of filing an RTI as he had faced such harassment himself. He filed an RTI appeal in July last year and was replied to on August 29. Advocate Jindal also moved to Ludhiana Consumer Court to bring public utility services provided by the NHAI under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Court.
Consumer courts too have power to hear road complaints
An individual can file a writ petition in the High Court under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution which gives the Courts the power to exercise jurisdiction on governments, in case one has grievances against the central government.
Jindal explains why toll complaints fall under Consumer Court
Advocate Jindal clearly explains that the toll is like a service fee. So when one pays a user charge, it means that an individual is making a consideration, hence it should come under Consumer Court. He further stated that the argument which he kept in front of HC was that issues pertaining to National Highways must be brought under jurisdiction of the Consumer Forum.
Jindal also fighting case against NHAI, SOMA
Apart from letting us know about tolls, Jindal is also fighting a case against NHAI and SOMA - the contractor for building and maintaining roads. He told how the issues at hand like potholes were pending before the Court. He further added that he had filed the case after facing inconvenience when the tires of his car burst due to bad roads.
