AAP demands closure of toll plazas to combat pollution

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday staged a protest to demand the closure of all toll plazas across the Capital, claiming that idle vehicles at the sites were adding to the rising pollution levels.

The protest, which was held at the Ghazipur Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) toll plaza, was led by Leader of the Opposition in the MCD House, Ankush Narang. AAP accused the BJP-led MCD of ignoring Supreme Court directions related to toll operations during poor air quality.

Sharing a video of long car queues at the Ghazipur toll plaza, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said that toll plazas had become pollution hotspots and questioned why the MCD and the Delhi government, both led by the BJP, had not shut them down.

Mayor’s clarification

Responding to the allegations, Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said the Supreme Court had not passed an order to close toll plazas but had directed the MCD to temporarily suspend operations.

The MCD has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court outlining the steps taken so far, the Mayor added.

Mr. Singh also said the MCD is moving towards barrier-free toll collection through a Multi-Lane Free Flow system using Automatic Number Plate Recognition and RFID technology. He said tenders for the project are being issued and the system will help reduce congestion and emissions at toll points.

He accused AAP of trying to confuse people and added that the AAP government had not taken any effective action on the issue when it was in power.