NEW DELHI: MCD’s tender for barrierless or MLFF toll collection has reached Delhi high court with two potential bidders filing petitions against the municipal body for “restrictive eligibility criteria” – experience of operating a minimum “50% of total toll lanes or 122 toll lanes under a single contract for at least two years”.The cases have been filed by Shiva Corporation and Skylark Infra Engineering. Some of the potential bidders told TOI that they had flagged concerns over the restrictive clause in the pre-bid meeting as well. Queries sent to MCD commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar did not elicit any response.The municipal body has invited bids for engaging a contractor for toll and environment compensation charge (ECC) collection at border points from specific commercial vehicles entering Delhi and for upgrading the existing RFID system to Multi Lane Free Flow-based toll collection. The proposed contract involves handling 154 toll plazas having 244 lanes.Seeking revision of restrictive criteria, Shiva Corporation wrote to MCD highlighting that in 2024, the civic body had issued a toll tender for Delhi’s border entry points, but because of very strict eligibility criteria, only two companies had qualified. It has mentioned that taking note of unfair competition MCD had cancelled the tender.It has also flagged that the eligibility conditions laid down in the fresh tender is “restrictive and also contrary to to the rationale adopted by MCD and acknowledged before the Delhi HC” where it had defended the decision to abandon the earlier tender process on the specific ground that since only two bidders participated a greater competition was required in larger public interest.MCD had said that it intended to explore ways to increase revenue by bringing more competition in the bidding process.Following this, tender conditions were reviewed and rationalised and in a 2025 tender, the lane experience was effectively reduced from 50% of total lanes to 25%. It said the MCD has reverted to the old condition with the requirement of experience in operating 50% of toll lanes in the current tender.
