Amid traffic snarls, centre wants Paliyekkara toll hiked, HC questions move

Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Government on Monday informed the Kerala High Court that it will decide within three days whether to increase the toll at Paliyekkara Toll Plaza, even as toll collection remains suspended due to severe traffic congestion and poor road conditions.

The court’s division bench, comprising Justices A Muhammed Mustaque and Harisankar V Menon, questioned the Centre’s move to propose a tariff hike on the stretch of NH 544, highlighting the ongoing road safety and traffic issues. “Severe congestion persists in multilevel traffic areas…We don’t know who is the loser in this game, but commuters cannot be,” the bench remarked.

Earlier, the court had asked the Centre to clarify how toll collection should operate during prolonged traffic jams, including whether commuters should receive a pro-rata deduction or if the toll should remain suspended until issues are resolved.

During Monday’s hearing, the judges criticized the Centre for proposing a tariff increase before addressing the congestion. “Only 5 km of this 65 km stretch is affected. A solution could have been worked out instead of increasing the toll. You are now looking only from the contractor’s perspective,” the court observed.

The Additional Solicitor General representing NHAI said safety measures, including barricades and reflectors, have been put in place and the road is usable. However, the District Collector said safety concerns persist, pointing to congestion where multilane traffic merges into narrow single-line service roads.

The ASG said the tariff revision is a routine “periodic increase,” adding that the Centre will take a final decision in three days. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on Friday.

Toll collection at Paliyekkara was initially suspended for four weeks, later extended. An Interim Traffic Management Committee was formed to inspect the stretch and address issues like uneven surfaces and culvert work. While NHAI’s compliance report was found satisfactory, the court deferred lifting the suspension due to the collapse of a service road at Muringoor and asked for a completion report.
(With LiveLaw inputs)