NEW DELHI: In major relief for daily commuters on the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea seeking a review of its earlier decision that allowed the stretch to remain toll-free.A two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, dismissed the review petition filed by Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), the private firm operating the flyway. The petition challenged the court’s 20 December 2024 verdict that upheld the toll-free status of the flyway.”We are dismissing the review plea. We did not find any merit in the plea,” the bench said.NTBCL, in its plea, had cited the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report relied upon in the original ruling, claiming that the report included positive observations about the company that were not reflected in the judgment. It sought a reconsideration of the court’s earlier decision on this ground.In its December 2024 verdict, the Supreme Court had upheld a 2016 Allahabad High Court ruling that declared the DND flyway toll-free. The top court strongly criticised the Noida Authority and the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi governments, observing that the misuse of power and breach of public trust had “profoundly shocked its conscience”.The bench also slammed the Noida Authority for entering into an agreement that enabled continued toll collection despite the project costs already being recovered.”No tax will be levied on the DND flyway for commuters. We dismiss the appeal of Noida Toll Bridge Corporation Limited (NTBCL) against the 2016 order of the Allahabad High Court,” the Supreme Court had said in its 2024 ruling.
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