Aditya Dev, TNN, Oct 5, 2010
GURGAON: The quality of services on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway might be getting worse but revenue generation from the project has been very healthy. DSC Ltd, the project's concessionaire, has earned Rs 381 crore from toll collections in the 31 months between January 2008 and August 2010, while the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has earned Rs 20.29 crore as its share of toll revenue from the project.
In August 2010, DSC earned Rs 16.3 crore from toll collections.
NHAI revealed the information in an RTI reply. In the RTI application, TOI Gurgaon had sought information on both revenue and service-related issues. NHAI said the project, implemented on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, would be maintained by the concessionaire for 20 years from the date of appointment (signing of the concession agreement).
Of the expressway's three toll plazas, at the Delhi-Gurgaon border, Kherki Dhaula, and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the highest toll collection was recorded at the first toll plaza. The 32-lane Delhi-Gurgaon border toll plaza generated Rs 231.95 crore between January 2008-August 2010, while Rs 145.56 crore was collected at Kherki Dhaula. The lowest collection was recorded at the IGI toll plaza.
The 32-lane toll plaza, which falls between Delhi and Gurgaon, is the most crowded of the three. The plaza not only processes a major share of local traffic but all long-distance traffic also passes through this point.
As per the NHAI-DSC agreement, if more than 1.20 lakh passenger cars pay toll tax on the entire 28-km stretch in one day, the revenue earned from the additional vehicles will be shared with the NHAI on a 50:50 basis. This is where the NHAI earned the Rs 20.29 crore from.
The toll collection report supplied by NHAI shows that the concessionaire's revenue generation has steadily increased over Rs 10 crore a month from March 2008 to May 2009, barring a few months when collections were less. A significant increase was noticed since June 2009, when the toll collection was over Rs 11 crore.
NHAI also revealed in the RTI reply that current toll rates for different types of vehicles will remain in place till March 31, 2011.
Though NHAI recently floated a tender inviting consultants to carry out a study after it found services on the stretch were deteriorating, NHAI's reply to the question "have services deteriorated because of an increase in the volume of traffic", was NA or not applicable. NHAI also said traffic growth on the stretch has been similar to what was projected by the DPR consultant (RITES) in June 2002.
On its part, the developer has invested over Rs 1,100 crore in the project, after raising debt and has been paying interest on that amount. Its working expenses include expenses incurred on running the toll plaza and on maintenance.
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