Paytm to ease business at Gurugram toll plaza

: With collections set to resume at the Kherki Dhaula toll plaza in Manesar here from Friday midnight, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken a slew of measures including collection of fee through “Point of Sale” system, Paytm and mobile application “Highway Saathi” to facilitate smooth flow of traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

NHAI Project Director Ashok Sharma said an adequate number of POS systems had been installed at the plaza. For collection of toll through Paytm, distinct QR codes have been displayed on all the 22 booths. People can also pay through mobile application “Highway Saathi”, which provides for payment against a single trip as well as a monthly discount pass. Besides, additional marshals have been deployed at the plaza to manage traffic. To facilitate transactions, Shri Mata Sheetla Devi Shrine Board in Gurugram has agreed to provide the NHAI low-denomination notes to the tune of Rs.5 lakh daily till December 15.

On the toes

Mr. Sharma said despite all the measures to manage traffic, law and order issues could not be ruled out in the initial stages and a Duty Magistrate had been appointed by the Gurugram administration to deal with the same.

Within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing that Rs.1,000 and Rs.500 notes would cease to be legal tender from November 8 midnight, the Kherki Dhaula toll plaza had begun to witness traffic snarls, with the toll attendants refusing to accept the notes. At one point, vehicles extended up to 2 km on both sides of the plaza, and the police had to allow free travel to clear the traffic. Even after the government allowed Rs.1,000 and Rs.500 notes for toll fee, the situation did not change much due to shortage of change.