National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has on Monday issued Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) to help minimize altercation incidents and strengthen security at National Highway Toll Plazas in the interests of both the commuters and toll operators. The detailed Standard Operating Procedure included guidelines for field offices to ensure strict implementation and adherence by toll collecting agencies to manage staff and road users.

As per the SoP, the toll collecting agency should ensure that staff at toll plaza wear the prescribed NHAI uniform with a name badge. Any anticipated incidence of violence should only be handled by Toll Plaza Manager/ lane supervisors, who will wear body cameras to record instances of violence at the toll plazas, it said.

In case of unruly behavior by a road user, the lane supervisor shall intervene and try to resolve the issue peacefully. The SoP forbids toll plaza staff from using provocative language or resorting to violence. The Toll Plaza officials may however take help from local police and lodge a FIR in case the issue persists or escalates. Videography can be done by the staff as proof to report such incidents to the police, it stated.

Further, any incidence which involves physical violence by the road user or damage to public property at the toll plaza should immediately be reported by toll collecting agency to the police and concerned NHAI Project Implementation Unit with all necessary documents/ proof.

In addition to the SoP, NHAI has also launched ‘Toll par Calm’ which is a special drive where NHAI has collaborated with professional Psychologists for anger management and customer delight training to staff at Toll Plazas. The first training session was conducted at Murthal Toll plaza in Haryana, and more trainings will be conducted on other toll plazas across the country, NHAI informed.