HYDERABAD: Sindh High Court has ordered the National Highway Authority (NHA) to remove toll plaza built on 14-kilometer long Hyderabad Bypass road.
The bench of Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Mohammad Iqbal Maher gave only 15 days to NHA for the plaza’s removal while the court had on November 10 already stayed the collection of the toll tax.
“Toll tax established at Indus river bridge called as Bypass toll tax is void, illegal, unconstitutional and NHA cannot take the same. Thus, the toll plaza established shall be removed with smooth traffic within 15 days,” the order reads.
The order was given in a petition filed by residents of Bhitai Town area, Syed Ayaz Ali Shah and Sher Mohammad, against the construction of an apartment building near the Bypass.
The bench further ordered deployment of three cars and five motorbikes for patrolling on the Bypass in addition to a round the clock availability of two lifter vehicles for road clearance in case of accidents or faults in the vehicles.
With regard to construction of the apartment building, the SHC ordered Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) and NHA to stop issuance of new no objection certificates (NOCs) for such projects.
“All the buildings erected along this road [Bypass] shall not be given direct access to the road,” the bench ordered, directing the NHA to erect the wall fencing which stops direct access to Bypass road except for only the 5 existing roads which are connected from the city side.
The bench directed the NHA to complete the fencing work in 30 days.
