Supreme Court Ends Toll Collection on Delhi-Noida Flyway

The Supreme Court ruled against the Noida Toll Bridge Corporation, affirming a 2016 decision that prohibits toll on the Delhi-Noida Direct flyway. The court stated that toll rights could not be delegated to the company, which had already recovered its project costs, preventing unjust public burden.

In a decisive legal verdict, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that toll collection on the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway will cease, rejecting the Noida Toll Bridge Corporation Limited's appeal against the Allahabad High Court's 2016 decision. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant declared that the Noida Authority overstepped by allowing NTBCL to levy tolls, as the project's expenses had already been recuperated.

The bench emphasized that such actions resulted in the company's unjust enrichment, effectively burdening the public financially. The concessionaire company, responsible for the DND flyway operations, had turned to the Supreme Court, seeking relief against the High Court's prior nullification of toll collections.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier prohibited toll fees on the 9.2-kilometre DND route, responding to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Federation of Noida Resident Welfare Association. The Supreme Court's decision upholds this ruling, supporting public interest over corporate profit.

(With inputs from agencies.)