The National Highways Authority of India has terminated the user fee collection contract at the Bara Fee Plaza on the Lucknow Sultanpur section of NH 731 in Uttar Pradesh following a serious incident involving the alleged assault of a national highway user. The incident occurred on 14 January 2026 and involved personnel deployed by the toll collection agency M s Skylark Infra Engineering Pvt Ltd.
In view of the gravity of the incident NHAI has issued a show cause notice to the agency seeking an explanation for the misconduct. The notice proposes debarment of the agency from participating in any NHAI bids or contracts for a period of one year. NHAI has also initiated action for forfeiture and encashment of the bank guarantee and performance security amounting to ₹5.3 crore submitted for the Bara Fee Plaza contract.
According to NHAI the reported incident constitutes a serious breach of the contract agreement which explicitly requires toll plaza personnel to maintain strict discipline decency and respectful conduct towards all road users. Any form of misconduct misbehaviour or use of force against members of the public is prohibited under the contractual terms. The authority observed that the incident reflects a failure by the agency to ensure proper supervision training and compliance with contractual obligations at the toll plaza.
NHAI stated that it views the safety dignity and convenience of national highway users as paramount. The authority reiterated its zero tolerance policy towards any form of indiscipline or misconduct at toll plazas and emphasised that strict action will be taken against agencies found violating contractual and ethical standards.
The action is intended to send a clear message that behaviour compromising public safety or trust will not be condoned. NHAI reaffirmed its commitment to providing a safe secure and commuter friendly experience across the national highway network and to enforcing accountability among all service providers operating on its behalf.
