In West Delhi, the UER-2 toll between Dwarka and Mundka has started to pose problems for residents.
Residents Oppose UER-2 Toll
Locals believe it is unfair that they must pay Rs 350 for each travel due to the UER-2 toll. They claim that this goes against the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of movement.
Diwan Singh, a water conservation specialist who lives in Delhi’s Dwarka Sector-23, is originally from Mundka village. Three or four days a week, he must go to Mundka village. He takes the UER-2 toll from Yashobhoomi in Dwarka and travels directly to Mundka ever since the construction of UER (Urban Extension Road 2).
Daily Toll Sparks Outrage
They must pass the Mundka Bakkarwala UER-2 toll of UER 2 close to Rohtak Road before Bakkarwala village. Now, each time they go from Dwarka to Mundka, Rs 235 is taken out of their Fasttag account, whether they are aware of it or not. The return trip also costs money.
An amount of Rs 350 is taken out of his account each time he travels to and from Mundka. This issue affects not only Diwan Singh but also the residents of Dwarka’s suburbs and the neighborhoods on both sides of the toll. People are angry about having to pay Rs 350 for everyday trip. Given that the areas on both sides of the toll are in the same city, the Rs 350 fee feels more like an injustice than a financial hardship to the locals.
Infringement on the freedom of mobility
Residents of the towns and colonies on either side of the toll claim that the need to pay a toll in order to go from one area of the city to another violates the Constitution’s guarantee of the city’s citizens’ right to free movement. People believe that the toll system is designed to discourage people from traveling.
It does not feel like we are in Delhi, according to Diwan and others like him. There should be a legislation that applies to the whole city of Delhi if we are there. One route in the same city allows free mobility, while another road charges a price. What type of city are we creating?
The residents of Mundka village must pay Rs 350 if they must drive to Bakkarwala, which is close, for any kind of job. This system is insane.
The nearby roads are impassable
According to Wazir of Bakkarwala village, people would not have even utilized the UER-2 toll if the government had given the construction of roads through neighboring villages or colonies even half the attention it has given to this project. However, what has taken place?
The state of every road around UER-2 toll is really poor. They are not appropriate for use in automobiles. On these highways, traffic congestion is a major issue. A few-minute trip may sometimes take an hour or more. Utilizing UER-2 toll is a must for people to prevent this inconvenience. You must spend at least Rs 350 for each journey as a result of this requirement.
Violation of the freedom of travel within a 20-kilometer radius
The locals claim that there is a clause exempting anyone who live within 20 kilometers of the toll from paying the toll. What is the reason for not making this arrangement here since it occurs all throughout the nation? Why do we have to pay a toll? The construction of a service lane or side lane may have relieved the local population of tolls if the government had intended to do so, but this kind of thought is not evident in this case. We must fight against this injustice.