Farmers' union demands toll-free passage on DND flyway

Noida: The toll gate on the DND Flyway here saw free movement of vehicles on Thursday with the Bharatiya Kisan Union sitting on a `dharna` demanding toll-free passage.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait described the toll gate as "illegal" and demanded that it should be done away with.

"The project was built by the Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL) and since then it has been maintaining it by illegal means. They are looting the people by fixing unreasonable rates for the commuters," Tikait told IANS.

"We are going to continue our protest till the authorities come and talk to us. There is no audit done on the the revenue generated by the company from the toll collected. We request the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to look into the matter and consider our demand of a toll-free movement of vehicles," he said.

Captain Vikas Gupta, national vice-president of Maulik Bharat - an activist group - said: "The company that built the flyway had claimed to have generated revenue of Rs.650 crore out of the project way back in 2007 but they are still charging people from the toll gate. This should stop immediately."

The NTBCL authorities could not be contacted for their reaction.