Angry workers at Fatehabad Expressway open all toll gates, thousands of vehicles cross Agra-Lucknow Expressway without paying, here’s why

On Monday, chaos broke out at the Fatehabad toll plaza on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh after angry workers opened all the toll gates, allowing thousands of vehicles to pass without paying. The protest caused heavy traffic and forced the police to step in to control the situation. The trouble started when 21 toll workers expressed anger over their Diwali bonus, which was reportedly only Rs. 1,100. The employees felt the amount was unfair and too low compared to what they expected.

The Fatehabad toll is managed by Shri Sign & Datar Company, which took over operations earlier this year in March. Since then, there have been ongoing disagreements over how festive bonuses should be calculated and distributed.

Upset with the management, the workers decided to stop working and opened all the lanes, letting vehicles move freely without paying any toll. As a result, thousands of cars and trucks crossed the expressway for free.

The company tried to fix the problem by calling in staff from other toll plazas, but the protesting workers didn’t let them take over the booths, making the situation even worse.

When the police arrived at the Fatehabad toll plaza, they worked to maintain peace and help start a dialogue between the protesting workers and the toll company officials.

Toll management assured the employees that better conditions would be provided and began discussions to meet their demands. Senior company officials promised a 10% salary increase as an immediate solution.

After this assurance, the workers agreed to resume their duties, and normal toll operations were restored following about two hours of disruption.

The company, Shri Sign & Datar, defended its decision on the limited Diwali bonus, explaining that it had only taken over the toll plaza in March and therefore could not give a full year’s bonus to the employees.