KOCHI: Amid raging debates over collection of toll when passage remains uncomfortable for motorists, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has granted in-principle approval for a toll hike at the Paliyekkara plaza on the Thrissur-Ernakulam section of NH 544, which is likely to take effect from September 10.
While toll collection remains suspended after a High Court order, a senior NHAI official said the concessionaire can implement the increased rates once the judicial clearance is obtained.
“We haven’t hiked the toll as such because the court has suspended it. What we did was to start the procedure by publishing a newspaper notice (of the toll hike). We’ve clearly written in the notice that the same is subject to court order. The toll fee at Paliyekkara plaza is hiked by a marginal amount every year around September. If the court extends the suspension again, no toll will be collected,” a senior official with the NHAI’s Palakkad Project Implementation Unit (PIU) told TNIE.
Should the court give the nod to resume toll collection, commuters will be forced to pay an additional Rs 5 to Rs 15 for one-way passage.
While NHAI has termed the toll hike as a “routine annual exercise”, with the paper publication, it has in effect given the concessionaire — Guruvayoor Infrastructure Private Limited — the nod to collect toll in line with the increased rates on the resumption of toll collection.
Earlier, the HC had suspended toll collection at Paliyekkara till August 26 based on a plea, citing heavy congestion and “contract violations” on the part of NHAI which commenced construction of new underpasses “without making any alternative arrangements”.
‘Contract company cannot hike rates without court order’
Though NHAI filled up the potholes along the service roads at the key choke point of Muringoor, the patchwork did not last even a couple of days. The central agency then temporarily tarred the service roads at the construction locations, including Amballoor, Muringoor, and Chirangara. However, the High Court extended the interim order, suspending toll collection till September 9 as there was no easing of traffic congestion on the stretch as fresh potholes began to pop up.
The court also directed the Interim Traffic Management Committee to conduct another inspection on the congestion issue. “We’ve tarred the service roads. If fresh potholes are formed, we’re filling the same with ‘cold mix’ packets, the technique used during the rainy season. There is nothing else we can do now,” the official said.
The High Court had suspended the toll collection while hearing the petitions filed by Congress leaders Joseph Tajet and Shaji Kodankandath.
“As our petition (WP(C)28609/23) against the increase in toll rates on September 1 every year remains before the Kerala High Court, the contract company cannot increase the rates without a court order,” said Joseph Taget, Congress’ Thrissur district president and the leader of opposition in the district panchayat.
“In the petition, we said that toll rates should not be increased and that toll collection should be stopped until the construction work and the remedial work mentioned in the safety audit are completed. The court gave the suspension order after considering the report of a committee which included the district collector, which said the work hasn’t been completed and the road is unsuitable for smooth movement,” he pointed out.