Create dedicated line for ambulance in toll plazas: HC

A division bench comprising Justice KK Sasidharan and GR Swaminathan, while passing orders on a plea seeking the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the contractors to maintain toll roads in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Concession, said “The dedicated lane must have a security personnel on duty at both the entry points with a safety cone or it should be manned with a boom barrier, to clear the ambulances and exempted vehicles without loss of time.”

Also, noting that the advocates and the public were unanimous in their views that the toll plazas contribute mainly to long queues and delay in traffic, owing to merely a few employees stationed at toll plazas for collection of user-fee, the bench came up with as many as 15 directions. 

Holding that since ambulance carrying patients require emergent treatment are delayed at toll plazas, valuable lives are lost, the bench directed NHAI, Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) and other concessionaries who are managing the toll plazas to nominate an officer in charge of fee collection. He should be available at the toll plazas and the concessionaire and officer nominated shall be responsible to ensure that the fee collection does not causing undue hardship and difficulties to the road users. 

The bench also directed the concessionaire to station ambulance, with facilities for emergency assistance at the toll plazas and the ambulance must have all the facilities for emergency assistance. The bench further stated that if roads were not maintained well, and needed time for undertaking the same, authorities should specify the outer time limit for compliance. Collection of toll should be suspended till the direction for repair of the road is complied with, the bench said. 

The other directions included maintaining complaint books in each of the toll plazas. In case the directions were not complied with, the concerned officers of the National Highways Authority of India, the Concessionaires and the Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu Road Transport Company will be personally held responsible, the bench added.