KOCHI: With the Kerala High Court suspending the toll collection at Paliyekkara toll plaza, the cash-strapped KSRTC has been able to make substantial savings to the tune of nearly Rs 1 crore in just 50 days.
The savings is a direct result of the corporation no longer having to pay the daily toll for its fleet of buses using the stretch, following the HC order on August 6. KSRTC used to pay a fixed amount of Rs 1,050 per month for a single bus, however, the toll was later increased to Rs 7,310 per bus from September 1.
With the suspension of toll, the corporation could save around Rs 55.5 lakh in a single month. Only below 20% of the buses pass twice daily through the toll plaza, requiring only 50% charges (when they pass the second time). “We could save around Rs 90 lakh in 50 days. Adding to it the BTC trips and others, the savings come to around Rs 1 crore,” said a senior KSRTC official.
The Kerala High Court initially suspended the toll collection for four weeks by an order dated August 6, 2025, citing the acute traffic congestion in the Edappally-Mannuthy section of NH544 due to the bad condition of service roads at multiple locations. Though the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) moved the Supreme Court, the apex court upheld the HC order.