KOCHI: An all-party meeting convened by District Collector M G Rajamanickam in the presence of S Sharma, MLA, on Thursday decided to suspend the toll collection on the Container Terminal Road for 15 days.
As per the decision taken at the meeting, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will construct a service road from Bolgatty to Railway Cross which was a long-standing demand of Mulavukadu and Kadamakudy residents.
The government agency, KITCO, has been entrusted with preparing the project report for constructing the service road. “They have been asked to file the report within 15 days and based on which toll collection will be resumed. The NHAI officials have agreed to construct the road. Though there were talks regarding the issue three months ago, the agency could do little,” said Rajamanickam.
The representatives who attended the meeting also expressed their reservations as regards the lack of service roads and street lights.
Sharma promised to construct a bridge across the Kattathi river using MLA fund. The District Collector said there was no discussion on the toll rate which the highway authority had fixed.
“Only the service road issue was on the agenda and people who attended the meeting were not against the toll collection. They would get concession as per the NHAI guidelines,” the Collector added.
Following this, the NHAI officials removed the toll collection booth and the high-mast lights erected along the Container Road.
Meanwhile, DYFI members staged a protest in the evening by burning the replica of the toll both. As many as 50 activists had gathered near the toll booth in protest against the exorbitant toll rate the NHAI has fixed.