Is the DND toll ban a boon or a curse?
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Is the DND toll ban a boon or a curse?

The recent Allahabad High Court order banning toll collection on the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway has been met with mixed reactions.

Is the DND toll ban a boon or a curse?
The recent Allahabad High Court order banning toll collection on the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway has been met with mixed reactions. While some commuters are happy that it means no more dreary queues at the toll plaza, others think the exclusivity that the DND offered is lost forever.
 
Anil Khaniju, a Delhi resident who commutes to work in Noida Sector 126 via the DND, told City Spidey that the decision had led to a spike in traffic on the route.
 
The High Court decision came at a point when Khaniju was planning to upgrade his RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) card to a Gold standard membership. The upgrade would have entitled him to non-stop passage with an on-board sensor installed in the car. Before the DND was opened to the public, he used to take the route via Akhshardham through Mayur Vihar and on to Mahamaya flyover to reach his office. The DND saved him at least 15 minutes. "Now that the toll has been removed, it's back to square one. There's so much traffic that at times it even takes longer," he said.
 
On the other hand, Shrikant Singh, another daily commuter from Noida Sector 53, welcomed the court's decision, saying the removal of the toll was a boon, as commuters had to dole out a significant amount of money just to use the flyway.
 
After Allahabad High Court on October 26 made the DND Flyway toll-free, Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), the firm responsible for maintaining the 9.2-km stretch, filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the High Court's order. However, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court order and refused to issue a stay on its decision. The apex court is set to get the NTBCL's accounts audited. 
 
Meanwhile, NTBCL's customer service department has already started refunding payments made against prepaid cards. The customer service officials told City Spidey that the refunds were, for the time being, being transferred to individual bank accounts but cash refunds would also be initiated soon.