Jaipur: Around 3,800 vehicles travelled through the Jaipur-Bandikui linkway in the first 12 hours of the inaugural day of the trial run Wednesday, reducing the travel time between Jaipur and Delhi by at least 30 to 45 minutes. Officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said the number of vehicles would increase in the coming days.Confirming the figures of vehicle movements on the first day, Bharat Singh Joiya, project director of NHAI (Dausa PIU), said now that the trial run had started, NHAI won’t close this linkway unless they find any major safety concerns. “We cannot comment on the exact date when we would start imposing toll for using this linkway. Along with the date of inauguration, we are still awaiting a green signal to impose toll from the higher authorities,” Joiya added.Motorists who used the linkway on the first day said the journey time to Delhi had significantly reduced. Not only that, unlike the Bagrana-Dausa stretch of the Agra Road, this road was congestion-free, making driving more comfortable. “I started from C-Scheme around 11am and reached Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport around 3.15pm. Midway, we halted at the expressway for close to 30 minutes. It means the driving time between Jaipur and IGI Airport was only around 3 hours 40 minutes,” said Amit Bairwa, who owns a rental car business in Jaipur.Meanwhile, the Jaipur-Delhi via Expressway deluxe service of Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC) covered the stretch between Bagrana and Hilalpur Toll Plaza in three hours, 45-60 minutes less than the usual time. “We started around 9am and reached Bagrana around 10am. Once we entered the link road, it took less than three hours of driving time to reach the Hilalpur exit of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Eventually, we reached the Kashmiri Gate ISBT around 3, owing to traffic congestion in Delhi,” said Asif Khan, the conductor of the first RSRTC deluxe service that took the linkway.Union minister of road, transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that beyond improving travel efficiency, the Greenfield Bandikui Spur is also expected to have far-reaching effects on regional economic development. “The ease of access will promote tourism by allowing more visitors to reach Jaipur’s world-famous attractions, including Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, and the City Palace. The enhanced connectivity will provide a boost to tourism in Jaipur, allowing easier access to its renowned attractions. But it’s not just tourism—this project will also play a crucial role in regional economic growth,” Gadkari stated on his ‘X’ account.
Nearly 3.8k vehicles take Bandikui linkway on Day 1 | Jaipur News
