A rare incident happened on Saturday on one of India’s major expressways. Thousands of vehicles, including heavy and light motor vehicles, were allowed to pass through the Fatehabad toll plaza for free. They were let through without paying the toll on one of the busiest expressways – the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. What led to this free passage?
What Happened at the Agra-Lucknow Expressway
According to various news reports, a dispute had been ongoing between the toll-operating company, Shri Sai and Datar Company, and its 21 employees. The fight was over the bonus amount. The company had proposed a bonus of ₹1,100, which the workers rejected. They were dissatisfied with the amount, saying it was far less than last year’s bonus and did not reflect their hard work. Toll collection on the Agra–Lucknow Expressway resumed later by Sunday evening following an agreement to give workers a 10% salary hike.
Last year, workers under a different contractor received a ₹5,000 bonus, which has caused widespread dissatisfaction this year due to the reduced amount.
Is the Agra-Lucknow Expressway ‘Free’ Now?
When the protest started, company officials and police came to the spot to calm the workers. The project manager, Krishna Jurail, said they were talking with the employees and trying to get things back to normal.
But by 9 am on Sunday, toll collection was still stopped. The workers said that they would keep striking until all their demands were met.
Agra-Lucknow Expressway
The Agra–Lucknow Expressway is 302 km long and has six lanes, which can be expanded to eight. It is a controlled-access highway built by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to reduce traffic on busy roads and lower pollution.
The expressway makes travel between Agra and Lucknow faster and is now one of the longest expressways in India. It was finished and opened on 21 November 2016 by the then Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav. Many people see it as his dream project and a model for rapid development in the state.
